What Once Was Lost
by writing101
Summary: It's been 42 years since the Cullens left Forks, 42 years since Bella's death. Alice has been having these strange visions about a vampire girl that'll change the life of her family forever. Alice POV.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first story so I really don't know how this will go! Hopefully okay! Also I wanted to say, english is not my first language so I apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes I might have overlooked.**

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Please review! I'd like to hear what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.

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Preface

"Anna?" I asked as I approached her slowly.

She gasped for breath twice and made an effort to lift her head up and look at me with desperate eyes. We stared at each other for a second, and somehow, she knew I knew the truth. I'm not sure what gave me away, but surely it must have been the expression of pure horror written all over my face.

"Help me save her", she pleaded weakly.

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**Chapter 1**

_My siblings and I were in a room full of dancing people. Suddenly the lights grew dim and everybody turned towards the figure on stage. A woman, more like a girl stood with the mike in her hands. A broad smile lightened her face while she greeted the crowd. Pale skin, dazzling beauty, and a musical voice. Vampire._

I opened my eyes and found Jasper watching me intently.

"Alice? What did you see?" he asked, a frown in his brow.

"The same" I said tiredly "It looks like we're really going clubbing tonight"

I'd been having the same vision over and over again for the past couple of weeks. I didn't know what to make of it.

"Is that a good thing? You don't look too pleased", Jasper said.

"I don't know Jazz" I sighed. "It's just… these are random visions and, for some reason I keep getting the same thing again and again. And whenever I try to see anything beyond that, it's all a blur" I had tried unsuccessfully to look for our future after our encounter with this girl. Nothing was clear. It seemed as though this meeting was somehow crucial for our family.

"Well," Jasper sighed. "I better go shower and tell the others then" he smiled and kissed my forehead gently. "Don't worry too much love," he whispered.

"Thank you," I said giving him a small smile.

Then he was gone.

I closed my eyes and lay on the bed. I wished there was a way to know the outcome of this encounter. I hated being blind, specially when it came to family matters. Besides, I couldn't believe this vampire girl could shift my family's future so radically. No one could. The only one who could was long gone by now.

Bella, I thought. It's been 42 years.

God, how much I missed her. My brother's human girlfriend, yet, she'd been so much more. So nice, so selfless. She was the first friend I'd ever made outside our family and, since I couldn't recall any fond memories of old friends; that meant a lot to me. Overall she had proved to be a great friend. But knowing what we would've been had we not left Forks. Sisters. _Best friends_. I let out a silent sob. That's what hurt me the most.

I stared at the ceiling hoping for tears that I knew would never come.

I will never forgive myself for listening to my stupid brother. If we'd been there with her she would've been safe. She wouldn't have gone into the woods by herself. Straight to her death.

_She would be one of us now._

_Okay, stop_, I said to myself. It was no use getting all worked up about the past right now. The future demanded my attention and I was going to give my all to protect my family from whatever was to come. I wasn't about to lose anyone else tonight. So with newfound determination I got up and went to my closet to get ready for the night.

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When I came downstairs everyone else was already there. Emmett, Edward and Jasper were all wearing black trousers and buttoned up shirts; black, green and white respectively. Rose, who was standing beside Emmett holding his hand, wore the nice red strapless dress she bought on our last shopping trip.

And last and _least_, wearing a dark green halter dress, stood Sabrina. A sudden wave of anger shot through me as soon as I laid my eyes on her. I just couldn't stand the sight of her with her arms wrapped around my brother. Nor her face, nor her voice.

I couldn't stand her. Period.

Edward growled lowly, gazing sternly at me. _If you don't like my thoughts, get out of my head!_ I thought irritated. I took a deep breath and calm washed over me. _Jasper._

My eyes found Jasper's and he smiled my special smile, the one he saved only for me. I chuckled lightly as I took his outstretched hand and wondered, as I had many times before, what had I done to deserve this wonderful man? One that could make me feel so whole with a single smile.

"Hey handsome" I said before reaching up and giving him a peck on the cheek.

"You look beautiful love," he whispered to my ear.

"Thanks Jazz, but its only a simple black dress" I said smiling.

"It's not the clothes Alice," he said "It's you"

I laughed quietly "Honey, you'll make me blush if you keep going"

Someone snorted.

"Vampires can't blush Alice" I heard Emmett say behind me.

I was about to reply when Rose smacked the back of his head, rolled her eyes and said, "Can't you recognize sarcasm when you hear it Emmett? She's joking."

"Oh, right" he chuckled, "Sorry Alice"

I just laughed and shook my head. "It's okay Emmett"

"Look, can you just cut the nonsense already?" Sabrina asked. "We're just wasting time here when I could already be dancing with my Edward," her high-pitched voice echoed through the empty house.

"Whatever" Rosalie muttered turning her back on her and Edward. "We'll ride with you guys," she told Jasper and I.

"Sure" said Jazz. "Let's go Alice," he said leading me to the car, Emmett and Rosalie close behind.

"We'll meet you there!" Edward called out to us before heading with Sabrina towards his car.

I watched them go and felt a pang of helplessness. How could Edward love that thing? She was so full of herself. We hated her guts and she reciprocated our feelings. Carlisle and Esme liked her though, but only because they believed her perfect charade.

No one would ever replace Bella, they'd said; still she was a nice girl, and if Edward had let her in, after all the pain he'd gone through after leaving Forks and her love…why couldn't they?

Our parents couldn't understand why we wouldn't accept her. Of course, if they could only see who she really was…I sighed. The only reason we hadn't kicked her out already was that Edward would leave with her if she left. And that would finish tearing us apart.

I'd never forget that vision. 10 years ago. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and I were all set to get rid of Sabrina for good; and suddenly…

"_Edward wait!" said Carlisle while holding a sobbing Esme. "You can't leave son!"_

"_I can and I will Carlisle" Edward said angrily, bags in hand. "Sabrina is part of my life now, and if you can't accept her, then there's no place for me in yours" he finished._

"_But­–"_

"_Goodbye" he said emotionlessly, cutting me off. Then he turned around and walked away with Sabrina hand in hand. Leaving us with an open mouth and a broken heart._

After that we resigned ourselves. We couldn't lose Edward too. So we all made a silent agreement to put up with Sabrina for the rest of eternity and hope she'd be gone one day. What else could we do?

"Alice" Jasper's soft voice broke me out of my reverie.

I turned my head and found him gazing at me with understanding. With just one look I knew he felt as helpless as I did; and that it pained him to see me hurting.

"Let's go," he whispered getting the door for me.

I saw Emmett and Rose's faces on the rearview mirror and they both gave me a small sad smile.

Jasper was on the other side in a second and without another word we drove off.

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**Remember! Please tell me what you think!**

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's another chapter for you guys! Hope you like it! Please review!!**

** And thank you to my two reviewers: Mandaius Meander and nbf4eva! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

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Once we took our first step into the club, I was immediately assaulted by hundreds of different scents swirling all around me. I felt Jasper tense up by my side and I quickly stopped breathing, squeezed his hand and tried to radiate as much calm as I possibly could. An arduous task when all I could think about was our uncertain future.

I looked up at him and saw he had stopped breathing too. He swallowed hard and looked down at me.

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "It's just been a while since we last did this," he said after taking a shaky breath.

And he was right, it had been a while since we were last surrounded by this much humans in such an enclosed space. Still it surprised me a little to feel his resolve waver.

Jasper's control had improved tremendously over the years and it felt strange to see that the smell bothered him so. Ever since Bella's near death experience on her birthday he'd felt so guilty –despite the fact that I told him she never blame him for anything­– that he'd acquired enough strength to rival Carlisle's restraint over a few years. I'd been so proud of him, still was.

"I know" I smiled, "It's a little hard for me too"

I squeezed his hand once more and looked around us searching for our vampire girl. Dozens of humans crowded the dance floor, the bar, the stools and tables. Couples and bachelors were spread all around the club, making out, dancing and talking. I swept my eyes over every corner of the place but was disappointed when she was nowhere to be found.

I turned towards my siblings and saw Emmett bobbing his head to the rhythm of the music. Sabrina was dragging Edward to the dance floor, and Rosalie turned to look at me raising her brows, asking a silent question.

"She's not here," I said frowning. "I can't find her," I said casting a glance around.

"You sure you got the day right Alice?" she asked also looking around.

"Yes" I answered.

"Or the right club?" Emmett added. "Maybe you got it all mixed up," he said. "You sure you didn't miss anything Al?"

"No, this is it" I said slowly.

"Then why isn't she here?" asked Rosalie raising her voice.

"Look, I know what I saw! I wouldn't miss something this big!" I snapped irritated. I was nervous enough already, and scared; I didn't need any second thoughts.

"Well it wouldn't be the first time!" she hissed narrowing her eyes at me.

I gasped. That hit home. I turned to walk away but felt someone grab my wrist.

"Wait" Rosalie whispered, regret dripping from her voice. "It's just… I'm scared, I…" she hesitated. "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry Alice," she said softly.

"I know you are," I said. "But please, let go" I said quietly.

"Alice–" she began.

"No Rose," I cut her off. "Just please…let go" my voice quivered and I fought against the lump forming in my throat.

I heard her sigh and felt her drop my wrist. I immediately started forward towards an empty table with Jasper trailing behind me. I couldn't _believe_ she'd brought that up. It had taken me so long to move past that slip. Even after 42 years it was always there, on the back of my mind; for it was something I couldn't forget and I'd have to carry for the rest of my existence.

I plopped myself onto one of the stools surrounding the small table and hid my face in my hands. I breathed heavily and choked out a sob as I remembered the day I decided to go back to Forks despite Edward's wishes. Six months had passed since our departure and nothing could have prepared me for what waited for me in that town.

_I parked in front of Bella's house full of dread. What were so many patrols doing in Charlie's lawn? I approached the house, stood by the window and listened carefully. There was a short gasp inside and Charlie's desperate voice rang out._

"_That's not my daughter," he said curtly._

"_Charlie," another man sighed. "Listen, we've done some DNA testing, and it's her blood that's on the woods"_

_Not my daughter? Blood? My hands were shaking._

"_No!" exclaimed Charlie, shoving the man to the wall. "It can't be her Ray!" he yelled. "It can't be her" he repeated weakly, his forehead on the officer's shoulder. _

"_We also found this at the scene" whispered Ray, handing Charlie a simple bracelet with a small wolf dangling on it. His eyes stared disbelievingly at Ray's hand as he took the bracelet in his own and clutched it tightly. His eyes began to water before he shut them._

"_I'm sorry Charlie," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder, his voice full of sorrow for the Chief. "We investigated further and found out the markings surrounding the scene were made by some kind of animal, a bear, most likely, she probably didn't have time enough to–"_

"_Stop" Charlie pleaded his face contorted in pain. "Please stop"_

_He turned around, crossed the room with effort and dropped onto the couch. He looked so old, so lost and full of grief. He buried his face on his hands and began to sob._

"_Oh, Bells" he whispered brokenly, tears slipping through his fingers._

_I stood there frozen, my mouth hanging open. I felt as though a cold hand had gripped my heart with vicious strength; I tore my eyes away from my best friend's devastated father and looked instead at the pictures the officer had showed Charlie._

_What I saw made me drop to my knees. I had never wished for tears as much as I did then. Uprooted trees, so much blood everywhere, shreds of clothing lying on the floor. _

I shook my head slowly. Bella dead. No vision.

_No vision._

That was something I would never forgive myself for. I still didn't understand why I didn't see anything. _And maybe I never will_, I thought sadly. I felt a wave of peacefulness wash over me as Jasper's arms wrapped around me. I clung to him and let myself become lost in a sea of bliss. He didn't say anything, and that was one of the things I loved most about him. We didn't need any words. We both knew what the other was feeling and we comforted each other that way.

Soft music began to play on the background.

Jasper let go of me, stood up and looked me in the eyes.

"May I have this dance ma'am?" he asked softly, offering his hand.

I smiled, took his hand in my own and we made our way to the dance floor. He put his free hand on my waist as I rested my head on his chest and we swayed in synch with the music. A few women glared jealously at me but I barely noticed them. We continued to dance slowly and gracefully. Then as soon as it started, it was over, Jasper twirled me once and the song was over. He held me close for a moment and kissed my forehead.

"Let's go honey" he whispered and led me to the bar where the rest of my siblings were sitting. Emmett was teasing Edward again.

"Shut up Emmett" Edward said through clenched teeth.

"Oh come on Eddie, won't you give me those ballet lessons now? I need some instruction on classical arts," Emmett said with laughter in his voice.

"Leave him alone Emmett" Sabrina whined trying to defend Edward.

That brought another round of teasing.

Rosalie turned to us and walked up to me.

"I'm so sorry Alice, really, I don't know why I said that, it was uncalled for" she said all in one breath.

"It's okay Rose," I said giving her a small smile. She smiled back and gave me a tight hug.

"What? You scared Eddie?" Emmett teased behind us.

Edward growled and launched at Emmett wrapping his arm around his neck in a playful matter. Then the lights grew dim and everyone turned towards the stage. And there she was.

_Our vampire girl._

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**Kind of a cliffie! What do you think??**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Inspiration came today and I finished writing this chapter for you! I hope you like it!**

**And thank you all for your reviews, they mean a lot to me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does. Also the song I used in this chapter belongs to the Pussycat Dolls so it's not mine either!**

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_This is it_, I thought.

She was standing there, wearing a midnight blue dress and high heels, just like I'd seen in my visions. She looked pale and beautiful of course, a must be for vampires. She had straight light brown hair that fell down her shoulders blades, full lips, soft features and bright topaz eyes. _Well,_ I thought to myself, _at least she's vegetarian_. I could never see her eyes quite clearly whenever I had a vision. To see butterscotch irises instead of crimson ones was a relief.

The girl walked gracefully across the stage. She held a mike close to her face, flashed a brilliant smile and said enthusiastically, "Hello everybody! How're you guys doing tonight?"

Her greeting was met with a loud cheering.

"Well I'm glad to hear it!" she laughed out loud, a sound like chiming bells. "Now people, how about we set the mood for the rest of the night!"

More cheering.

She smiled, "I thought so," I heard her whisper.

Suddenly there was a blast and music filled the club once again. All the humans started dancing as the girl began to sing. She had a strong, beautiful voice, and mustered great confidence in the way she moved and danced on stage; drowned in her music. We too danced for a while before heading back to the bar. On that single moment I let myself forget all my worries and concerns for the future and just dance. I felt so free and careless; I wished I could stay that way forever.

Our girl sang for about an hour or so, about love, life, passion, loneliness, hurt and heartbreak. All the while keeping the audience on their feet.

"She sure puts on a good show," remarked Emmett, leaning on a stool.

"Yeah, she does," replied Rosalie.

The rest of us nodded our heads. Even though our business here could jeopardize our future we did enjoy ourselves. If only for a moment.

The music slowed down and we turned our heads towards the stage. Fear found its way back to me and I grasped Jaspers hand.

"Well guys, I fear our time together has come to an end," said the girl. The crowd complained loudly. She laughed and said, "Ok, I'll sing one last song for you, and that's it, deal?" she asked.

"Yeah!" came the answer.

"All right then, we have a deal," she said. "Now, this song means a lot to me. I wrote it a couple of years ago, when I was going through a rough patch, so, I hope you like it" she finished.

I felt Jasper shift by my side, and I looked at him with fear in my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said frowning. "It's just…It must've been quite the rough patch. I could feel her hurt and grief as soon as she agreed to sing a last song"

I opened my mouth to ask him, if he had noticed any kind of stray emotions coming from her besides those two, but just then a piano began to play and I turned my attention back to the vampire girl.

It was her playing the keys; her eyes were closed as she started to sing. She seemed lost in her own world.

_**We're driving slow through the snow on 5th Avenue**_

_**And right now radio's all that we can hear**_

_**Now we ain't talked since we left, it's so over due**_

_**It's cold outside but between us it's worse in here**_

_**The world slows down**_

_**But my heart beats fast right now**_

_**I know this is the part**_

_**Where the end starts**_

Jaspers frown deepened and he took a deep breath.

_**I can't take it any longer**_

_**Thought that we were stronger**_

_**All we do is linger**_

_**Slipping through our fingers**_

_**I don't wanna try now**_

_**All that's left's goodbye to**_

_**Find a way that I can tell you**_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**I just can't take your tears**_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**Everyday, 7 takes of the same old scene**_

_**Seems we're bound by the laws of the same routine**_

_**Gotta talk to you now 'fore we go to sleep**_

_**But will we sleep once I tell you what's hurting me**_

The girl gazed forward. Her eyes glazed, her thoughts in another time.

_**The world slows down**_

_**But my heart beats fast right now**_

_**I know this is the part**_

_**Where the end starts**_

_**I can't take it any longer**_

_**Thought that we were stronger**_

_**All we do is linger**_

_**Slipping through our fingers**_

_**I don't wanna try now**_

_**All that's left's goodbye to**_

_**Find a way that I can tell you**_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**I just can't take your tears**_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**I know you'll ask me to hold on**_

_**And carry on like nothing's wrong**_

_**But there is no more time for lies**_

_**'Cause I see sunset in your eyes**_

Her face portrayed her pain. She looked so vulnerable. Despite the potential threat she posed to my family, I found myself wanting to comfort her, all thoughts of danger fading away.

_**I can't take it any longer**_

_**Thought that we were stronger**_

_**All we do is linger**_

_**Slipping through our fingers**_

_**I don't wanna try now**_

_**All that's left's goodbye to**_

_**Find a way that I can tell you**_

_**That I gotta do it,**_

_**I gotta do it,**_

_**I gotta do it**_

_**I hate this part**_

_**I gotta do it,**_

_**I gotta do it,**_

_**I gotta do it**_

I saw Jasper wince and the rest of my family stare in awe as the figure on stage sang her heart out. _What had happened to her?_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**I hate this part right here**_

_**I just can't take these tears**_

"I hate this part right here" she finished softly.

The crowd applauded and cheered, and we joined the applause, moved by the performance.

The girl stood up and gave her thanks, then, she left the stage through a back door. I noticed my siblings shuffling nervously. _What now?_

"Well," started Emmett, "Now what?" he asked.

Nobody answered. None of us knew what to say.

I searched our future once again but found nothing but blurred images.

My eyes traveled along our small circle and found Emmett gazing around distractedly and Rosalie staring at the floor, deep in thought. Jasper looked shaken and Sabrina had her eyes on Edward, who was frowning, almost glaring at the backdoor on stage.

"What's up with you?" I asked him.

"It's nothing," he muttered angrily, shaking his head. I stared at him and thought, _it's not nothing what is it?_

He shook his head discretely tore his eyes away from the door and looked my way. "We should look for her, see if she's dangerous."

Everyone nodded and we agreed to split. Jasper and I started towards the stage, close to an emergency exit, while the others went their separate ways.

"What do you think of her?" he asked me quietly.

"I don't know Jazz," I sighed. "I have no idea what to expect," I added worriedly.

"You can't see anything?" he asked as he dodged a human passing by.

"No, I­–" _Jasper turned around in time to see two men carrying some drinks collide with each other. They both stumbled to the floor, landing on broken glass from the shattered cups. I froze as the smell of blood hit me with full force. We were so close._

_I saw Jasper crouch and then lunge towards the bleeding men…_

"Jasper, wait!" I screamed.

He turned around just as the two men collided behind him, I watched as they both fell to the floor. The sound of shattering glass echoed loudly in my head. _Oh my God_, I thought as I reached Jasper. "Don't breathe," I whispered quickly, too low for human ears. But it was too late, I heard both men yelp in pain and the smell of blood was all around us.

Jasper closed his eyes tightly and gripped my hands to stop himself from lunging at the man. "It's too close" he shook his head, "too strong". I too was struggling. I started to panic. _Was this the end? _I thought._ Was this what would destroy our future? Exposure? What about the girl?_

Just then, a door banged open, and a gust of wind rushed past us and blew the scent away, giving us a chance to take a deep breath of fresh air and get away from the scene. I turned towards the door and saw the vampire girl, wide eyed, holding open the emergency exit.

I heard some footsteps heading in our general direction. "Oh my God, are you okay?" asked a worried Rosalie. "We turned back as soon as we smelt the blood," she said quietly.

"Yes, it probably was" Edward said looking at Jasper.

"Probably was what, Eddie?" asked Sabrina.

Edward clenched his jaw "Jasper's singer" was all he said.

"Let's get out of here guys," I said as I watched the girl heading towards the parking lot. I wasn't going to let her go without talking to her.

We all went through the emergency exit, "Hey! Wait up please!" I called out to the girl.

She stopped and turned around, her body tense.

"You called me?" she asked, her eyes going over each of us.

"Yes," I said, "We just wanted to thank you for what you did back there"

"Yes, I don't know what I would've done had you not opened that door" said Jasper.

She smiled, "It was nothing," she said, "We vegetarians have to stick together don't we?" she added. She was fidgeting a lot and kept looking everywhere but at us.

"True" Rose said. "How rude! Let me introduce us," she continued. _How smart_, I thought, now she'd tell us her name. "We're the Cullens, my name's Rosalie, this is Emmett," she pointed to my smiling sibling.

"Hey" he said.

"That thing over there is Sabrina–"

"What!" she exclaimed.

"Right next to her is Edward," she continued as if there had been no interruption. The girl frowned when she looked at him. "Oh! Don't mind him, he glares at everything these days," Rose said waving Edward's attitude away. "And these two you just saved, are Alice and Jasper" she finished.

"Hello," we both said, wearing smiles on our faces.

"Hey," she said quietly. "My name's Elizabeth Stephens, Lizzie, for short"

"Well it's nice to meet you Lizzie," I said holding out my hand.

She hesitantly shook it.

"Likewise" she said. "Um…" she shifted her weight, "I have to get going, maybe I'll see you around?" she asked. She seemed eager to get away. _Did she feel threatened by us? _I thought, _well, we were 8 vampires after all._

"Yes, and you can get to know our parents too," I said. "When can we meet so you can come to our house?" I asked sounding excited. I wasn't letting her of the hook so easily. We were going to find out everything we could about this Lizzie, and for that, we had to have her as close as possible.

"Um, I'll be here on Saturday, maybe we can meet here and we'll see?" she asked, sounding unsure. _Great,_ I thought, _just two days from now._

"That'll be great," Rose said, "See you then,"

"Yeah…ok…I guess I'll see you," she said before walking away.

"You can count on it!" I said loud enough for her to hear.

"What's wrong with you glaring at her like that?" Rosalie rounded on Edward.

"Nothing's wrong with me," he said through clenched teeth.

"Then quit being such an ass!" Rosalie replied angrily.

"I'm not–"

"Be quiet!" I cut them off. "Look, " I said pointing towards Lizzie's retreating figure. A blonde human had intercepted her.

"Bryan" I heard her whisper breathlessly.

"Lizzie!" he exclaimed pulling her into a tight hug. "How've you been? You were great on stage!" he complimented.

"Thanks, but…look Bryan I have to go," she said, glancing sideways.

"What? But I've missed you! Can't we just talk for a bit?" he pleaded, taking her hands in his own.

"No, Bryan, just–"

"Please, it's been years–"

"No!" she raised her voice, pushing him to a side. "Just, stay the hell away from me Bryan" she said, venom dripping from her voice.

Bryan stood there shocked and taken aback as Lizzie walked away and disappeared into the night. Then he too walked away and headed to his car.

"Ok," said Emmett raising his brows "What was that?" he asked confused.

I turned to Edward but his eyes were unfocused, like he was deep in thought.

"I have no idea," I answered. I looked at Jasper questioningly.

He sighed and shook his head, "I don't know, her emotions were all over the place throughout our meeting and what we just witnessed. We should probably go, before something else happens," he said.

"Let's go then," said Rose. "Come on Emmett"

"Yeah, let's go"

I stayed back with Jasper and asked him to tell me the whole truth and what he thought about Lizzie's behavior.

"I'll tell you once we get home," was all he would say.

After that we all made our way to the cars and drove home.

We got home just as Carlisle was making his way towards the door. Edward was already by his side, and was whispering something to him while Sabrina went inside.

I strained my ears to hear what he was saying, and I froze when I caught Edward's words.

"Carlisle," he said, "I couldn't read her mind"

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**I'm sorry for the cliffhanger guys! I know you must hate me right know, still I hope you liked it! (the story I mean). What do you think? Please review!**

**Also I'm sorry if the Edward-Sabrina thing is confusing you, I promise I'll explain everything I can in the next chapter!**

**Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I can't believe I'm updating again already! :P **

**I had a lot, and I mean a lot of free time today and I asked myself, why not write another chapter? so, just so you know, this won't happen very often, although I wished it could. Still I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it clears away any confusion about Edward and Sabrina!**

**Again, thank you all for your reviews! they make my day!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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I could swear my dead heart skipped a beat when I heard Edward say those words. Only Bella had been impervious to his gift.

"You what?" I asked him disbelievingly while approaching him. I couldn't believe my ears, and by the way my sibling's eyes were wide open as they walked briskly by my side, neither could they.

Edward sighed defeated. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I said, I couldn't read the girl's mind," he muttered.

Carlisle gazed at him sadly and Edward let out a soft growl. Carlisle raised his hands, "It was just a thought my son" he said.

"She's not her, Carlisle" Edward murmured emotionlessly. I slowly took a deep breath. Of course she wasn't. She was dead.

"I know son, I'm sorry," he said before turning to us. "Did you notice anything else out of place?" he inquired.

"I don't know," Jasper began. "I mean…there's nothing wrong with her, it's just, her emotions were very strong and jumped from one another too quickly…it was very confusing. They came out of nowhere when she began her last performance. There was grief, pain and loss, love, longing…guilt; the list goes on. And then, when we caught up with her, it was the same story all over again. A complete tangle of feelings."

"But, Jazz," I said, "Don't you think her emotions were triggered by that song she wrote? She did say it meant a lot to her, and, maybe her nervous stance had something to do with being surrounded by 8 unknown vampires." I was still weary of Lizzie's involvement with my family, but I found it hard to imagine she was plotting to destroy us.

"Yes, Jasper," Rosalie agreed with me. "She couldn't have performed like that if she didn't feel _something_." Emmett nodded his head.

"I know that Rosalie," Jasper replied calmly. "I'm only trying to say, that a person with all those emotions bottled up inside, can be very volatile, dangerous."

"I have to agree with Jasper, children," Carlisle said. "Interaction with people with such unstable feelings can end up pretty badly. Not always, but still…we have to be careful, we don't know anything about this Elizabeth yet."

"Oh, but we do!" I exclaimed. "Know something about her, I mean, I think she's been friends with humans before now. You see, after she agreed to come over to the house on Saturday night, a human came up to her. He seemed genuinely happy to see her, she however, didn't seem to be too fond of him," I said. "She pushed him off of her and walked away" I added.

"That's where you're wrong honey, she _was_ happy to see him," said Jasper.

"What?" I asked, taken aback.

"Then, why did she reject him like that?" asked Emmett.

Jasper just shrugged and turned his eyes to Edward.

"The boy's thoughts were all jumbled up," he said, answering my husband's unspoken question. "Though I did catch a glimpse of the days he was reminiscing. They both seemed quite close. He also kept thinking how she must've never gotten over some kind of accident."

_An accident?_ I thought frowning.

"Edward!" a high-pitched voice called out from inside the house. "Don't tell me you're still talking about that girl?" she whined. "Come on inside!"

I rolled my eyes and let out a short breath.

"I'm coming!" Edward said. "Talk to you later," he added, before heading off to find Sabrina.

I stared at Edward's retreating figure_. How could she have such a strong hold on my brother?_ I thought irritated, _like a dog on a leash!_ Jasper rested his hand on my shoulder and tried to calm me.

"We'll get going too," said Rose. Emmett grabbed her hand and they both went inside.

"What about the girl, Carlisle?" asked Jasper.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. You did invite her to come over, right?" Carlisle said. "We'll stay close together and keep an eye on her, until then…" he trailed off.

I was suddenly worried for my mother.

"Hey Carlisle? Did you talk with Esme? Is she coming home soon?" I asked.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Esme. Do you know when she's coming?" I repeated.

"Oh, I'm sorry Alice. I'm just not used to you asking such questions," he apologized. "But yes," he answered, "She'll be home tomorrow morning"

I grimaced inwardly. This was one of the reasons I sincerely hoped this would all end soon. I know he didn't do it on purpose, but I hated being reminded of my blindness.

"That's great," I said relieved.

"Yes," he said, "She said everything was back to normal now, so she could come home right away" I could hear the longing and excitement in his voice. He had missed her, we all had. She'd gone to visit Tanya and her coven, but had to stay there longer than planed because a rouge group of vampires was terrorizing the small town. We had told her to stay with our friends to be safe, just in case.

"That's good to hear," said Jasper, grinning thanks to Carlisle's infectious joy.

"Jasper," started Carlisle, his eyes full of pride and love, "I'm proud of you son, both of you," he said looking at us. "Edward told me what happened in the club, and, I just wanted you to know that"

I grabbed Jasper's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Carlisle" he said gratefully. I just smiled and nodded my thanks.

Carlisle smiled, "If you need anything, I'll be in my office, ok?"

"Sure," I told him as he went inside.

"He's a great father," I whispered once he was gone.

"I know," Jasper whispered back.

He turned around to follow Carlisle when a thought struck me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be home right now, I wanted to talk to Jasper. Alone. So I toyed with the idea of staying outdoors for the rest of the night. I weighed my options. I could stay home, and put up with Sabrina's whining–I could still hear her _annoying_ voice– or, I could go into the forest with my loving husband and have a much needed, little chat. I didn't have to think twice, my choice was already made. So I turned around and tilted my head up, "We should go hunting Jazz," I said. He nodded his head in agreement.

"You're right," he said. "What happened back there was a close call, I can't believe I even considered drinking that man's blood," he said, bowing his head in shame.

"Hey," I said softly, lifting his chin to look him in the eyes. They were full of self-loathing, my heart ached; I hated to see him hurting. "You were amazing, Jazz, you've just proven your control is better than most" I stood on tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to radiate every ounce of love I felt for him.

He sighed contentedly and spun me around. "What would I do without Alice?" he asked as he laid me on my feet, a smile on his face.

"Oh I don't know, you'd probably be too lost without me," I said playfully. That made him laugh.

I grinned, "Race you to the clearing, I'll get the biggest elk" I teased before speeding away.

He just laughed again and came after me.

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"Told, you I'd beat you" I said, sitting down by the lake.

"Oh, come on Alice," he said, "You got a head start, that's cheating darling," he complained, taking a seat by my side.

"I did not," I said pretending to be offended.

"Yes, you did,"

"Well, it's not my fault your too slow Jazz," I shrugged, laughter in my voice.

"Ah! I can never win against you!" he exclaimed raising his arms in defeat and laying his back on the ground. I looked down at him, and gave him a quick kiss. He smiled and closed his eyes.

We stayed silent for a while, enjoying each other's company. The peace and quiet allowed me to get lost in my memories, and I began thinking just how much things had changed after we left Forks.

The first months had been torture. Edward had left us to track down Victoria and make sure Bella was safe. Whenever he'd come back, Jasper had to leave the house. The guilt he felt over Bella's accident was already too much without having to add up Edward's never ending pain.

I missed my friend, and after six months of needless suffering, I was through with Edward's stubbornness. I was going to Forks, and nobody was going to stop me.

How I wish I'd gone sooner.

_Bella had been attacked by an animal, _they'd said, I couldn't believe it. I went to the place where she'd been mauled. I wanted to find some kind of evidence to prove them wrong, but the rain had washed away everything already, blood, scents, and prints, there was nothing left. No body had been found.

Charlie held her funeral a day after the police declared her dead. I didn't have a chance to call my family. I wanted to comfort Charlie, but I couldn't bring myself to, it was too painful. So I watched and said my goodbyes from a distance before heading back home.

Once I got back, I was too shocked and distracted that I didn't notice Edward in the room until it was too late. He gasped and I got a flash of him in Volterra, asking to be killed.

"Emmett!" I had screamed wide eyed, "Grab Edward!"

He immediately did as he was told, and took a hold of him before he could get away. Edward had struggled against Emmett's unyielding grip with no results.

"Alice?" Jasper had asked me, "What was that about?"

That question had been my undoing. I couldn't hold it together anymore. I started sobbing uncontrollably and my husband rushed to my side, whispering words of comfort, trying to calm me down.

"Bella's dead" I'd choked out. Gasps had followed my revelation and nobody was ever quite the same afterwards.

Months had passed and it seemed as though nothing could convince Edward to stay home. I was always on the lookout for his future, and Emmett was always close by to stop him if he tried to run. Esme was the one who finally brought Edward to his senses. She'd sat with him one afternoon and forced him to look at her in the eyes.

"I've already lost one child, don't make me lose another one," she'd whispered with a broken voice.

He never tried to end his life again after that. Still, he did nothing but wallow in self-loathing and pain for years.

Then came Sabrina, _dearest_ Sabrina, I thought sarcastically. We'd been traveling around Europe when we found her in a building that was being consumed by fire. I still remembered that night, 15 years ago.

_The flames coming out of the apartment building rose higher by the minute. _

"_Come on guys!" Emmett shouted over the roaring fire. "We got everyone out, let's get out of here" we all nodded our heads and turned to leave._

"_Help!" came a desperate scream._

_I saw something flash in Edward's eyes, "Go!" he said, "I'll get her" then he went back into the flames. _

"_Wait!" I called after him. I panicked. Had he wanted to perish in the fire? I held my breath as we waited for him to come out._

_I sighed relieved when I saw him dashing in our direction, away from the survivors. I'd felt as though it had been hours since he'd gone._

"_Edward, son, what are you doing?" asked Carlisle. "She should be with the other humans," he said, glancing at the unconscious girl in Edward's arms. _

"_She's a vampire" was Edward's only response. _

_The girl moaned and briefly opened her eyes._

"_Are you okay?" asked Carlisle. She nodded weakly. "Do you have anywhere to go?" this time, she shook her head. _

_Carlisle smiled, "Then you can stay with us as long as you need to" _

"_Thank you" the girl whispered before closing her eyes once more._

And that was how Carlisle had, unknowingly, condemned us all.

Time passed, and something changed within Edward. He started to gravitate towards Sabrina, he was always by her side, and after a couple of years, he told us he was in love with her.

"I don't understand how can Edward stand Sabrina, let alone love her," I wondered out loud.

Jasper breathed in deeply and propped himself on his elbows, "He doesn't" he said.

"What!" I exclaimed bewildered.

"He pretends, for the sake of Esme," he said, "You know how much it hurt her to see her son in pain, so…he hides it behind his _love_ for Sabrina"

"How long have you known this? Why didn't you tell me?" I asked accusingly.

"Wait, calm down Alice," he said raising his hands, "Let me explain, but please, let me finish before you do anything else, ok?"

I scoffed and crossed my arms, waiting for his explanation.

He ran his hands through his hair nervously before beginning. "I've known this ever since day one" I frowned and opened mouth to protest, "No, no," he said before I could utter a sound. "No interruptions, remember?" I huffed in annoyance, but kept silent anyway.

"Well, as I was saying, I've known this since forever. I confronted Edward the very same day he proclaimed his love for Sabrina. I accused him of lying, I told him his feelings weren't true, that I knew he was pretending," he said. "And boy, was he stubborn," he shook his head. "He almost fooled me when he tried to radiate the love he supposedly felt for her, so I could see he was telling the truth. He was doing fine, until there was a leak of terrible pain. That's when I knew it was Bella he was thinking about,"

"He made me swear I would tell no one, Alice, no one, of the conversation we had. I'm so sorry I never told you Alice, but I thought, putting up with Sabrina would be easier if you thought Edward loved her" he finished.

I was shocked beyond words. Was my husband telling me we've all been living a lie this past 15 years? I looked up to him and saw that he really was sorry. I let out a breath, exhausted; it must have been pretty tough for him to carry around that knowledge all these years. "I know you're sorry, I just wished you would've told me sooner," I said.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again. "Now you'll have to be very careful around Edward, Alice," he cautioned. "He'll have my head if he knows I told you."

"Don't worry about that," I said hugging him close to me, "He won't know"

We turned to the east and saw the sun rising above the mountains, giving the sky an orange glow. I hadn't realized the night had ended "We should go back," Jasper said.

"Yes" I agreed, he took my hand and we left the clearing, the sun on our backs.

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**No cliffhanger this time people! I figured there had been enough of those for now!**

**What do yo think?? Please review!**

**Thank you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello guys! Thank you for all your reviews, it's great to know you've liked the story so far.**

** I'm sorry it took me a little bit longer that expected to update, I've just been very busy this last few days. So I apologize if this chapter isn't that great.**

**Also, I know this is kind of a filler but it's information you guys will need to know later on :) Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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Once we were clear of the woods, our house came into view. The first rays of sunshine going through the large windows. I could hear low, excited voices coming from the inside.

"Esme's here" Jasper stated, a smile adorning his face.

I smiled too, and we both half-ran towards the door. Jasper chuckled and held it open for me. We went inside and spotted our mother sitting in the loveseat with Carlisle. She stood up and opened her arms as soon as she noticed us. I grinned and ran into her embrace.

"I missed you mom," I said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before stepping aside and letting Jasper say hi.

"It's good to have you home, Esme" he said, giving her a big hug.

"Oh, it's good to be back Jasper," she replied with a loving smile.

I glanced around and saw everyone staring at Esme expectantly. Everyone but Edward, whose eyes had a dark look and were downcast. _What's going on?_ I thought. He shook his head, his mouth forming a grim line. I frowned.

"So, how did it go?" I asked Esme, trying to sound casual.

"Well, I was just about to tell everyone, we were just waiting for you to arrive," she said. "Why don't we all sit down? It's kind of a long story," she added.

Everyone agreed and filled the empty seats in the living room, anxious to hear whatever our mother had to say. Jasper and I sat on the floor by her and Carlisle.

"Ok, first of all, everyone back there's okay and sends their love. They hope we can all visit them soon enough," Esme said.

"Yes," said Rose, "It's been a long time" we all nodded our heads and made sounds of agreement.

"Indeed," said Esme, "Well, that being said, I guess I'd better tell you everything that happened during my stay, for I fear it concerns us all," she said seriously, her voice grave and her eyes weary.

A shiver ran down my spine. What did that those vampires have to do with us? Didn't we have enough trouble already?

We all stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

"When I arrived at Tanya's a week ago, nothing was out of place. The first couple of days went by without incident. But then, on the third morning, we saw a news flash on TV; two corpses…drained of blood, had been found in an alley, close to a dump.

"At first, we didn't know what to make of it. We hadn't caught the scent of another vampire in town, and, what else could explain what we had just seen?" she said.

"We were all anxious, but decided to let it be for the moment," Esme said, "We had hoped it was only a new, careless vampire in the zone. The day after the next however, five more bodies had been spotted, all five without a single drop of blood left. We decided to do something about the situation, seeing as the Volturri weren't showing up"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carlisle clench his jaw.

"We divided into pairs: Eleazar and Carmen, Kate and Irina, and Tanya and myself. We set out to look for them, Eleazar–"

"What!" Rosalie interrupted, her voice full of surprise. "You never told us you went in search for them!" she exclaimed. "You said you found them by chance! And that they left after they realized you guys were in town," she said, her tone accusing.

Esme sighed, "I know I did Rose," she said tiredly. "But I didn't want to worry you… you all had enough trouble already"

_Oh, how right she was!_ I thought, but still…

"Still, you should have told us the truth, darling," said Carlisle, his eyes stern, yet, full of fear at the thought of his wife's life at risk.

"I'm really sorry, Carlisle," she whispered, her eyes downcast.

"What happened next?" he asked quietly.

"Each pair searched a different part of town, we did exactly the same two days in a row, but found no scent nor trace of any vampire. We would've thought they'd left had the killings stopped, but they only increased their–"

"Wait," Jasper interjected, "No scent? How's that possible? Even if they had left town, their scents must have been all over town," he said, confused.

_My thoughts, exactly._

"Yes," replied Esme, "That's why Eleazar began to suspect the vampire, or vampires, we were looking for had some kind of power, maybe one of them had the ability to mask their scents, making them untraceable" she said, shrugging a little. "Anyway," she continued, "By the sixth day, we were uncertain that we would succeed, nevertheless, we headed out once more.

"It was almost dawn, and Tanya and I were walking by the outskirts of town when we heard a scream. We got to the source just in time to see five vampires standing near the edge of the forest that surrounded the small town, one of them discarding a body. Eleazar and the others arrived in no time, having heard the scream too, and we all faced the strangers," she paused.

Even though I knew the outcome of this encounter had left my mother and friends unscathed, I still found myself grasping Jasper's hand tightly out of nervousness and anxiety. He put his free hand on top of mine and sent me a wave of calm. I immediately loosened my grip.

"Their leader came forward and spoke up. 'Hello,' he said, 'My name's Kurt, and this is my coven.' He asked if we were the ones who had been following them around, we said yes. He laughed and asked us if we had any luck, when we answered no, he confessed one of his coven members could, indeed, make them untraceable. After a couple of meaningless questions, Tanya asked Kurt, in the most polite way, to leave town.

"He asked why, though, he argued they weren't cutting off our blood supply, since we were vegetarians, and fed off of animals" Esme said, looking at us pointedly.

I rapidly caught on and frowned, "How did he know about that? No one but the Volturri and our close friends know we call ourselves vegetarians. Besides, even if they noticed the eyes, regular vampires usually don't know what they mean" I said, growing more uneasy by the minute.

"I know," my mother answered quickly, "This is were it gets interesting. We disregarded their last comment and instead mentioned the bodies lying around town for the humans to find. 'What about them?' he asked indifferently. I was taken aback by the way he just didn't seem to care about exposure. 'Aren't you worried the Volturri might hear of this, and take matters into their hands?' Eleazar had asked. He just shrugged his shoulders and said the Volturri were smart enough to know their place"

Emmett snorted, taking a look at our shocked expressions, "Oh, come on! He was surely bluffing," he said, "How can you believe he doesn't care? They must be just some…suicidal vampires looking for their death" he finished.

We all winced at his choice of words.

"Oh…Oops," he said sheepishly, looking at Edward after he realized what he'd said. Edward just nodded his head slightly and I assumed Emmett had apologized.

"What's important here," Esme continued, attracting back our attention. "Is, that after they agreed to leave, Eleazar caught a glimpse of a Celtic knot tattoo on Kurt's right shoulder. A tattoo he recognized as the crest of an ancient Irish family, one that served the Volturri long ago, when he'd been part of the Guard,"

_Oh my God_, I thought. _Does Eleazar think those vampires are working for the Volturri Guard?_

"He does," Edward said looking at me, answering my thoughts.

I frowned, _so, he thinks that's the reason they were acting so careless? Because the Guard wouldn't come after them?_

"Yes," he said.

"What is it, Edward?" asked Sabrina, glancing from me to Edward.

"Hate this silent conversations," I faintly heard Emmett mutter.

_But, what do they have to do with us? What do they know?_ I thought desperately.

"Esme's almost finished," he said gravely, "She'll tell you," he added, a twinge of pain in his expression.

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"Umm," she started, "As I was saying, Eleazar recognized Kurt's tattoo, and he suspects that coven, is somehow in league with the Volturri. Why else would they think they wouldn't chase after them? What's worse is, they know things about us…things no one but _us_ should know about," Esme said.

"How do you know that, Esme?" asked Sabrina.

"Because of their parting words. They'd just agreed to leave, when Kurt turned to look at me straight in the eyes. 'Say 'hi' to the rest of the Cullens for me; will you Esme? I may pay you a visit one of these days,' he said. 'Oh, and please, tell them to be more careful with the human girls they hang around with, I might want to play with one of them' he laughed, then, they were gone"

_They knew about Bella? _Was the only thought I could conjure.

Edward winced.

_How?_

"How could they know about her?" asked Rosalie, deliberately abstaining herself from saying the _forbidden _name.

"I've no idea," answered Esme, "Eleazar said maybe another member of their coven had some gift that helped them uncover our names and memories, but he wasn't sure"

"So, Eleazar couldn't tell whether the other vampires had any abilities at all?" asked Edward.

"No, he said one of them was probably using a mental shield, making it impossible for him to use his ability" Esme said.

"This can only mean trouble for us," sighed Carlisle.

"Oh let them come!" growled Emmett, getting up and cracking his knuckles. "Let's see if they can take me!"

"Emmett!" Rosalie reproached.

"I'm scared Edward!" whimpered Sabrina, while she scooted closer to him and clutched his arm. "It's okay," he whispered, embracing her.

I rolled my eyes, but snuggled up to Jasper.

"All right!" said Carlisle, "Let's all calm down. There's nothing we can do about any of this but to be on constant alert. We need to be extra careful about this new coven and that vampire girl, Alice, you still have trouble seeing our future, right?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, making a face. "But I'm sure once we settle things down with Lizzie, I'll be able to see clearly," I said, trying to be optimistic.

"Lizzie? Who's Lizzie?" asked Esme, looking at everyone for an answer.

"She's the vampire from Alice's visions," said Jasper, shifting a little by my side and hugging me closer to him.

"Oh, so you've met her already?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, last night," I said.

And so, we launched into a detailed recount of the events of the night before Esme's arrival. From the girl's strange emotions, her silent mind and our near exposure, to the weird exchange between her and the human.

"Oh my God," she whispered while she embraced Jasper and myself. "I'm so proud of you both!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you, Esme," we both said.

She smiled at us before letting go. "So, this girl, you think she's dangerous?" she asked Carlisle.

"We're not sure yet," he said, troubled. "The girls invited her to come over though," he added.

"When?" Esme asked Rosalie.

"Tomorrow night," she replied.

"So soon?" Esme exclaimed.

"The sooner the better," I said, I wasn't going to prolong my blindness any longer than necessary. Besides, I was really curious to know more about this Lizzie.

"Maybe you're right," she sighed. I knew she didn't like the idea of a dangerous vampire wandering inside our home, especially after what she experienced with Tanya's coven. But I also knew she wanted us to face this together and get it over with.

"Well," she started after a pause, "As much as I hate breaking up this small reunion, I need to go and get some drop cloth and brushes in town," she said standing on her feet.

We all did the same and stared at her.

"I'm painting again," she said, answering our unspoken question.

"That's great darling," said Carlisle embracing her from behind.

"Thank you, it's been so long, and I miss it," Esme said.

_42 years long_, I thought sadly.

"I'll be back soon," she said heading for the door. "Alice," Esme called me, "Would you mind coming with me?"

"Not at all," I smiled. I wondered what she wanted to talk to me about. Something she didn't want the others to hear, _a specific someone_ probably, I thought. "See you later," I whispered to Jasper. I gave him a quick kiss and went after Esme, closing the door behind me.

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**So, what do you think? Please review! :)**

**You'll find out a little more about Lizzie and her past in the next chapter!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello people! I'm back with another chapter for you, and, as promised, you'll find out a little something about Lizzie's past! I'm updating this right now because I don't think I'll be able to write anything for a few days. Homework and stuff you know! **

**Though... any reviews might prompt me to update sooner rather than later! haha! Just kidding! :P **

**Well, I hope you guys enjoy this! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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It took Esme and I a little while longer than your average vampire to reach town. Out of all of us, Esme was the only one who abided by the rules of traffic. Even Carlisle had broken a few during his long existence. But, driving _that_ excruciatingly slow, kind off reminded me of Bella. I remembered Edward telling me how she was always scared of his driving. Out of all the things she could've been afraid of. I chuckled under my breath, typical Bella.

"Alice," Esme said, "I'll be right back, ok? I'm going to go check if they have that painting I was telling you about,"

"Sure, I'll wait here," I said.

She smiled at me before turning around the corner of the room. I took a deep breath and looked around. We were inside an art gallery, a very big art gallery. Three floors, paintings and sculptures all around. The walls were white, the wooden floor shined, and the place had been designed to illuminate certain masterpieces to capture your attention.

_This_, I thought, _was the kind of place Esme liked to spend hours in._ Normally she wouldn't have minded coming alone, but my suspicions had proven to be correct once we were out of hearing range. She had, indeed, wanted to talk to me. She had asked me the same question I'd been avoiding myself since last night.

"_Alice?" Esme began, "Do you think…there's even, a slight possibility, that this Lizzie, might be…Bella?" she asked shakily, never taking her eyes of the road._

"_Why are you asking me this?" I countered. I suddenly felt nervous, and dizzy. Could vampires even get dizzy? _

"_Because," she said, making a pause to take a small breath, "You were the one who saw everything. The pictures, the clearing, the woods, the evidence. You were the only one at the…funeral."_

"_Esme, I…I don't…" I stuttered. I did not know what to say. _

"_But you said her body hadn't been found," she whispered, finally looking at me, a flicker of hope in her topaz eyes. _

_I frowned sadly, my eyes gazing into nothing. I felt so…empty inside, devoid of any hope. I had wanted to believe in that slight chance, that remote possibility that Lizzie could be, in fact, my long gone best friend. But I wouldn't allow myself to think that way. For what would I do, if I were wrong?_

"_No, Esme, her body was never found," I said focusing my eyes on her face. I saw hers begin to light up as she opened her mouth to say something. "But," I continued before she could pronounce a word, "I don't think its her mom," I said softly._

"_But, Alice," she started, desperate for me to agree with her. Her train of thought had to be stopped. And, to achieve that, as much as it hurt me, I knew I would have to kill every, single, shred of hope she still held on to. _

_For her sake as well as mine._

"_No, mom, listen to me," I said, my tone serious. "You're right, I was the only one there, and I was the only one to witness everything firsthand. And as that person and your daughter, I'm going to tell you what I truly think," I took a shaky breath. "There's no way she could have possibly survived." I stated firmly, looking straight into her eyes. _

"_And before you say anything, no, there was no trace of any vampire anywhere within a 5 mile radius of the clearing," I said. "So there's no chance she was changed back then."_

_She looked down to stare at the steering wheel, but then snapped her head up again. "Vampires masking their scent," she whispered. "That's how they knew about her!"_

_Something stirred inside of me, what if she was right? I shook my head. Focus. You can think about it later on, I thought to myself, when Esme's feet were safely on the ground._

_I sighed, I'm going to hate myself for all eternity after this, I thought grimly._

"_No, you're not listening," I snapped harshly. I winced inwardly at the hurt look that crossed Esme's face, but carried on regardless. "When I said 'there was no trace of any vampire' I didn't mean just a scent, but a whole presence. Esme, there weren't any human prints in the woods except for Bella's. Animal prints? Yes, there were plenty of those," I said, the words leaving my mouth faster than I thought they could. "It was clear some kind of animal, if not more, had been there. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing about a vampire"_

_You little liar, a voice taunted me inside my head. _

"_Are you sure that's what you saw, Alice?" she asked, searching my eyes. _

_I closed them and guilt started to gnaw my insides. I pushed it aside and readied myself to deliver the final blow. "I could see as perfectly clear back then as I can now," I said, a slight edge in my voice, "Please, don't ask me to picture my best friend being torn to shreds by some wild animal again, I've had enough of that," I added, my voice shaking with anger. "She's dead, Esme!" I hissed._

_She stayed silent for a minute and I tried to cool myself down. I hadn't expected to get angry. Let alone snap like that at Esme. I was just going to pretend. So I decided to stop being hard on her and try a different approach._

_I took one of her hands in both of mine and said, "She's gone, mom, and she's not coming back. The sooner you accept that, the better." I sighed, suddenly tired. _

"_I'm sorry I snapped at you mom," I whispered softly after a little while._

"_It's okay Alice," she said, "I think I needed that," she turned her head to look at me and gave me a small sad smile. _

_I returned it, and became silent. _

_I have such a forgiving mother_, I thought. I was so sorry about the way I'd talked to her back in the car. But I couldn't bring myself to regret it, because it had worked. At least now she wasn't going to be haunted with 'what ifs'. No, now it was my turn. I would make it my own personal goal to find the truth about Lizzie.

The wind-bell hanging by the door came to life as someone entered the gallery. I glanced at the newcomer from the corner of my eye and smirked.

_Speak of the devil, and he shall appear, _I thought.

Lizzie glanced to her right and spotted the old lady that had welcomed Esme and I a couple of minutes ago. She made her way towards her and whispered something to her ear.

"Oh! Yes, my dear," the old lady said, fidgeting with her glasses. "Actually, there's someone here interested in buying it, she came in with her daughter. A very nice young lady if I may say so, and her daughter, oh, she was charming, such a cute little thing," she said.

"Really?" Lizzie asked, apparently surprised.

"Yes, yes, though you know, they look nothing alike. Except for the pale skin and those golden eyes, almost like yours dear," she rambled on.

I struggled to stifle a chuckle as I watched Elizabeth's eyes grow wide with realization. I was unsuccessful though, because her gaze landed on me in a second. I grinned and waved; she waved back with what I assumed to be a smile on her face.

The old lady noticed our small exchange and exclaimed, "Ah! You two know each other! This is great, she's that lady's daughter," she said glancing at Lizzie, whose eyes never left my face. "The one I was talking to you about?"

"Yes," she replied, looking lost and nodding her head, "I know."

"Well, I'll leave you two at it then," she said, before taking off to help some other client. I took that as my cue, and approached the apparently conflicted vampire. It was hard not to laugh at the expression on her face. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. She was probably debating whether she should leave or not. Well, lucky for her, I was going to take that decision off her hands.

"Long time no see," I said as I greeted her.

"Yeah," she laughed nervously, there was an awkward pause before she asked, "So, umm, your mother's here too?"

"Yes, she was looking for a painting she wanted for the living room, the same one you were asking for, I believe," I said, making it sound like a question.

"I believe so, yes," she answered.

"Were you interested on buying it?" I asked, "Is that what you came here for?"

"No, no I wasn't, I'm not going to buy it,"

"I don't mean to pry but; may I ask why were you looking for it?" I was slowly losing my patience, was I only going to get yes or no answers out of her?

"Oh, its nothing, I just wanted to know if it was still here,"

I stared at her and raised my eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I painted it," she finally said, "So, I just wanted to know if there was anyone interested in it"

"You painted it?" I asked incredulous. What a coincidence! "It's beautiful!" I exclaimed, "The cliffs, the waves and the ocean, it all looks so real."

She smiled, embarrassed, "Thank you," was all she said.

I smiled, turned my head to a side, and pretended to admire an abstract sculpture. I risked a glance at Lizzie and found her hesitantly reaching out with her hand to touch me. She had a far away look on her face.

The wind-bell resounded again and she broke out of her trance. We both turned to see who'd come in.

I heard Lizzie let out a short breath. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered.

Dear human, Bryan, had just arrived.

"Look," Lizzie rapidly told me, "I have to go, tell your mother I'm sorry I didn't get to meet her," and with that, she went for the door.

"Wait!" I called out to her, "You're still on? Tomorrow night?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure," she replied before bumping gently into Bryan.

He immediately recognized her and tried to grasp her wrist so she couldn't escape. Lizzie was too fast for him though, and she left without a backward glance.

He stared at the direction she disappeared, dumbfounded.

_This is my shot_, I thought to myself as I walked up to him.

"Hey!" I said, "Excuse me, do you know the girl that just left?" I asked innocently.

"Huh?" he said, shaking his head before looking down at me, "Elizabeth?" he asked.

"Yes! Oh, this is great news" I said, a smile on my face. "It's just, I'm a childhood friend of hers, and you see, I kind off bumped into her the other day and we went to grab a bite to eat, and…" Okay, I was going to risk it, "I don't know, she didn't seem like herself, you know, she was always so cheery and happy…" I trailed off.

He opened his mouth but I interrupted him.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I'm so rude, here I am rambling to a complete stranger and I didn't even introduce myself," I said. "I'm Alice," I said offering my hand.

He smiled, and shook it, "Bryan," he said.

"So, how do you know Lizzie?" I asked him. This was my chance to dig into our mysterious vampire's past.

"Well," he started, scratching the back of his head, "I met her about five years ago, in school, and we became very good friends. It's been a long time since I last saw her but…"

"You don't why she's acting so strange?"

"No, actually I do have an idea,"

"Would you care to enlighten me? I'd really like to understand what's going on with her," I said.

"Umm, why don't we go get some coffee? I'll tell you then," Bryan said, gesturing a small coffee shop on the other side of the street.

"That's great, let's go," I said, "Esme," I whispered, too low and fast for human ears. "I'll be across the street"

"Be careful," came her response, "I'll let you know when I'm finished"

Then, he led me out of the gallery and onto the coffee shop.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want anything Alice?" Bryan asked me for the _third_ time as we sat down in a small table, just by a window that overlooked the gallery.

"Dead sure," I said, almost laughing at my own joke.

He smiled.

"So, you were going to tell me about Lizzie?"

He exhaled loudly, "Yes, I just don't know were to start," he said, looking troubled.

"Well, the beginning is as good place as any," I prompted.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he smiled sadly, "But I have to warn you, this story doesn't have a happy ending"

"I'm sure I can take it," I countered. _I've had my fare share of happily never afters_, I thought darkly.

"Okay, well, you know how I told you Lizzie and I had become great friends?" he asked. I nodded but said nothing. "Well, I always had a thing for her, I mean, she was beautiful, smart, funny, you name it, everything a guy could ask for. Although I always sensed there was something…dark about her past; there would be times when she would constantly space out and have this, somber look upon her face."

Of course she had a dark past, it was almost like a rule for every vampire.

"Anyways, I wasn't the only one, but she never showed any interest in anybody. Sure, she had many friends but; she was never really into anyone. We all thought she'd find what she was looking for once she went to college. We were proven wrong though, when Jason Stephens transferred to our school during our senior year."

I frowned, _Stephens? _Wasn't that Elizabeth's surname?

"Is something wrong?" Bryan asked, staring at me.

"No, no, go on," I said quickly.

"Well, you see, at first, Liz didn't seem to like him at all, and the feeling seemed to be mutual; but to make the story short, they fell in love. Everything was going great for them when suddenly, out of the blue, they had this huge fight," he said. "They wouldn't talk, they would avoid each other; they didn't even tell anyone what they fought about. Everyone else thought they hated each other, but I could tell they were both hurting. I just, didn't understand why neither of them would tell me what happened. I was their best friend after all."

His heartbeat picked up its pace, and I knew the tragedy was coming.

"A week after that though," he paused, and his eyes watered, "Jason had an accident. He died. His body was found by a river near an abandoned warehouse, just out of town,"

I gasped.

"The police said he hit his head with a rock and bled to death," he said sniffing. "They said there wasn't a single drop of blood left in his body when they found him. They told us the river had washed it all away," he said, his voice breaking.

Oh my God. Did she…?

"I'm sorry," I said gently.

"Thank you," he said, teary eyed. "It's still somewhat, hard, to talk about it"

"What happened next?" I asked.

"We were all devastated. Lizzie was never the same after that. She lost her shine," Bryan said, his thoughts far away. "She left town as soon as we graduated, never saw her again after that. Until now," he added.

"And you think that…?" I began.

"That maybe, seeing me, brought back some painful memories," he continued, unsure. "I don't know, anyways, that's probably why she's acting so out of character, even with you," he finished.

There was a light tap on the window, and I turned to see Esme waiting outside. "I'm done," she mouthed.

I turned to Bryan and stood up, "I got to go, I'm sorry," I said apologetically.

"Nah! It's okay," he said waving his hand.

"Thank you, for telling me all this," I said, "It was nice meeting you Bryan,"

"Same here, maybe I'll see you around,"

"Sure," I said walking away.

"Hey!" he called out, "If you see Lizzie again, will you tell her I said hi?" he asked.

"Of course," I said before I went through the door.

"What was that about?" asked Esme once we were on our way to the Mercedes.

"That," I told her, "Was Lizzie's human friend Bryan, he told me some background information, nothing important though," I said. I wasn't going to share my speculations with anyone just yet.

"Well, then, let's go home," she said as we reached the car.

"Yes, let's go"

I had a lot to think about.

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**Come on, let's hear what you think! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello people! **

**I'm so sorry for the long wait! School's been crazy and I hadn't had the time to write anything at all!**

**I really hope you like this chapter guys! Let me now what you think! And thank you to those who reviewed!**

**I hope to update soon but still, I can't promise anything!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

* * *

There had been many days during my vampire existence, when I've wished for sleep. Today was one of those days. I felt terrible, so tired. Even sitting next to my husband, in our own room, proved to be an impossible task. I felt as though my head was about to explode. I never really believed our kind could get headaches. A memory came to me then; I remembered this old vampire, many years ago, telling me he'd had one once. The idea just seemed ridiculous at that time and I had laughed in his face. Well, I didn't feel like laughing right now.

"Agh!" I fumed, tearing at my hair.

"Alice, love," Jasper said calmly, grabbing both of my hands and keeping them at a safe distance from my head. "That won't help the headache"

My head throbbed angrily, as though making a point.

"I know," I whined, resting my head on his chest "I just wish it would stop," I was exhausted, I'd been trying to see our future all night long. Nothing would come up clear. Nothing was certain. I just couldn't get used to being cut off from my visions, and as much as Jasper had tried to improve my state of mind, nothing had changed.

"And I wish I could be of more help," he said, looking down at me with sad eyes.

"You being here, when I've been such a pain, is good enough," I mumbled into his shirt. "Besides, you shouldn't spend so much time with me, I know you feel it too,"

"There's no other place I'd rather be," he replied, his voice full of the purest sincerity.

I nuzzled his neck, and wrapped my arms around him.

Jasper chuckled quietly and kissed my head, "I love you Alice," he whispered softly to my ear. I was immediately overcome by the love he sent me. I closed my eyes and smiled contently. The pain forgotten for a moment. "I love you too," I whispered back.

I looked up, my eyes half shut, and closed the small gap between our lips. He kissed me gently, as if afraid, that even the slightest touch, would bring back the headache. I let out a short breath and parted my lips. He took my hint, and locked me in a passionate kiss. He caressed my face, as I ran my hands through his golden locks, and I let out a soft moan, when he laid a tender kiss on my neck. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream, echoed throughout the house and I broke away, shutting my eyes tightly, and groaning loudly.

My headache was back, with a vengeance.

"Edward!" Sabrina yelled at the top of her lungs. I winced, as the pounding in my head grew stronger.

"Emmett!" Edward's angry voice rang out.

A loud crash was heard.

"Oh, Edward. Come on man!" Emmett's joyful voice carried up the stairs. "It was just a joke!"

Jasper touched my forehead with his and sighed, irritated. "I better go down, make sure they don't kill themselves," he muttered, looking apologetically into my eyes.

I gave him a small nod.

"I'm sorry Alice," he said before making his way downstairs.

I dropped on the bed and covered my face with a pillow, trying to drown out the shouts coming from the first floor. It didn't work though, because soon enough, I heard Jasper's angry voice.

"You're acting like children," he chastised. "And no, don't look at me like that Edward, because you are. Carlisle and Esme have been gone for what? A couple of hours? I can't believe you. Alice has a killer headache," he hissed through clenched teeth, "And yet, here you are, trashing about and turning our home into a madhouse!" he growled.

I heard him take a large, calming breath.

"Now, each one of you will apologize, and we'll take this discussion outside," he said, trying to keep his voice even. I heard some steps and the front door open.

"Sorry sis!" Emmett boomed.

"Emmett!" I winced.

"Damn," he cursed silently. "I'm sorry Alice," he said quietly.

I smiled, "It's okay, Emmett, I know you can't help it," I teased. He always managed to bring a smile to my face.

"Hey!" he complained loudly.

"Emmett," Jasper warned him.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," he mumbled, and his footsteps left the house.

"My apologies, Alice," Edward said, his voice expressionless.

"Sure," I replied coldly, trying hard not to think about the many reasons why I was mad at him. We hadn't talked since Jasper told me about his little façade. And I knew, that maybe I had no right, since I didn't know what I would do without my husband by my side, but I couldn't bring myself to forgive him for what he'd put this family through. At least, not yet.

"Sabrina?" Jasper prompted.

"You can blame your brother, I'm not going to apologize for something that wasn't my fault," she said impassively before taking her leave, Edward's footsteps right behind her.

I narrowed my eyes. _You stubborn little… _I thought angrily.

Jasper sighed, "I'll be right back love," I heard him say, before he went out and closed the door behind him. His footsteps fading as he got further away. Then, silence.

_Sweet, silence._

I threw aside the pillow I'd used to cover up my face, and stared unblinkingly at the ceiling. The initial pounding and throbbing had subsided somewhat and I felt this strange relief at being left on my own. Esme, Carlisle and Rosalie gone hunting, my siblings and husband out of the house. I sighed. I needed some time alone.

I hadn't told Jasper anything about my run in with Bryan yet, and I had asked Esme to keep it a secret for now and guard her mind from Edward. Yesterday had been gone in a flash, and this was what I had been waiting for. One moment to let my guard down and think freely.

_Lizzie_.

Everything seemed to revolve around her. My visions, our future; it was frustrating. My thoughts were a mess, and I couldn't make sense of any of my mental ramblings. First of all, what was her story, her true story? Did she really kill her human lover? I shook my head; Bryan hadn't said anything about red eyes or sunglasses.

_She could've always resorted to contacts_, a part of me countered.

I rolled my eyes.

_Okay,_ I thought, _next_.

_Kurt._

_What in the world did he have to do with any of this?_ How did he know about Bella? About us? Were him and his coven really working with the Volturri? Were they planning on taking us down?

And finally, the question that had haunted me the most, could Elizabeth, be our Bella?

I pressed my hands to my forehead, and I could almost feel my head pulsing underneath them. I hadn't wanted to acknowledge that possibility until now. I'd been afraid of what might happen if I did. Not anymore though. I'd decided. Even if this girl wasn't my lost friend, I was going to do whatever it took to unveil the mystery surrounding Elizabeth Stephens.

_Was Stephens even her real surname? _I sighed and shook my head slowly.

I looked at my nightstand, saw a big, red, seven on the alarm clock–never knew why we bought that, we never used it–and thought; _I should probably get ready_, _shower before Rosalie gets home. _

So I got up, and went to prepare myself for the big night.

* * *

The music blared through the speakers and I grimaced.

"Love, are you okay?" asked Jasper with worry.

"I'm fine don't worry about me," I said, "I perfectly okay Jazz," I reassured him after seeing his unconvinced expression.

True, he had a reason to worry; after all, I_ had_ had a headache all day long. But after I stopped concentrating on our future, the headache disappeared. It was gone, and I realized that maybe the pain was caused by all the flashes and blurred images I saw whenever I looked ahead.

"If you say so," he said, still sounding unsure.

"Positive," I replied with a smile.

"I don't know what we are doing here," Edward suddenly said out loud, "We should be warning her to stay away from us, not inviting her over" he added grudgingly.

Something sparked inside of me and I heard myself reply to his comment.

"And why is that?" I asked, talking to him for the first time in days, "Is that what your _beloved_ thinks? What are you afraid of Sabrina?" I turned to her, "That Edward will realize there're better women than you out there?" I asked her.

"Look! You little pixie–"

"You leave Sabrina out of this" Edward interrupted harshly, "I just think it's not wise to bring some unknown vampire to our household. Especially one so dangerous"

"What makes you say she's so dangerous?" I asked angrily.

"Because she's emotionally disturbed!" he replied, clenching his jaw.

I gasped and narrowed my eyes. I didn't understand why, but I felt this sudden urge to defend Elizabeth, and I was furious at what he'd said.

"Alice," Jasper warned me, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"No, Jasper," I said, my voice shaking, "just let me say this," I knew Edward was having a hard time trying to stay calm. So was I. But honestly, I couldn't care less.

"Say what?" Edward challenged me, his posture defiant.

"That you're probably just as bad as you think she is!" I hissed, "And you know exactly what I'm talking about!" It was a low blow, but I couldn't stop myself and I thought back to the first months after Bella's death.

"That's none of your business," he said, his voice deadly.

"Guys, calm down," said Emmett.

"It is when it involves my family!" I countered hotly, ignoring my huge sibling.

"Stop it, you're making a scene," whispered Rosalie, glancing at the surrounding tables and curious eyes.

"You have no idea what I went through!" he growled.

"Jasper, do something," Emmett said quickly.

"You weren't the only one mourning Edward!" Just then, I felt a wave of reassuring calm wash over me. I took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. "But you're right," I agreed, "I don't know what you were feeling then, or now for that matter, but you don't know anything about Lizzie either so," I shrugged.

"Oh and you do?" he asked, his eyes boring into mine.

I opened my mouth to reply and couldn't help but think about my conversation with Bryan. About Lizzie and Jason. I shook my head and struggled to think about something else.

"What was that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing" I said quickly.

"Here she comes," said Rosalie, motioning to our left with her head.

I thanked God for her timing.

We turned to face Lizzie, and she greeted us with a small wave and a smile.

"So," Rosalie began, "You're coming with us, right?" Lizzie nodded her yes, "Good," my sister continued, "When can you go?"

"Actually," Lizzie said, "I took the night off. We can leave right away if that's what you want"

"Great!" Emmett exclaimed, "Fresh air! We don't want another _bloody_ accident right Jasper?" he teased, a big goofy grin on his face.

"Shut up," Jazz muttered, punching his shoulder lightly.

I half smiled; leave it to Emmett to ease some of the tension. I glanced at Edward; he was frowning at something straight ahead, behind Lizzie. She looked up, followed his gaze and sighed defeated.

"Liz," came the drunken voice of Bryan, as he stumbled into Lizzie's arms. "Bryan," she whispered, a tinge of sadness in her voice, "What are you doing? You know you shouldn't be drinking" she said, her gaze soft.

"But I wasn't drinking" he whined. His eyes were looking around, unfocused, when he noticed me. "Hey Alice," he said, his breath stank of alcohol.

"Hey," I nervously replied. I felt everybody's eyes trained on me. Faces questioning. "I'll tell you later," I said, waving them off.

"Lizzie," Bryan said, his voice trembling, "You don't want to be my friend anymore, do you?" he asked her.

"Of course I do Bryan, you're just better off without me," she said looking away, pain evident in her voice.

"But…why?" he asked desperate, "Liz," he said taking her face between his hands and looking at her in the eye, "I didn't only lose Jason that day," I saw Lizzie wince at the name, "I… I lost you. I lost my two best friends," he said, tears running down his face.

Lizzie looked at him, tears that would never fall glistening in her topaz eyes.

"Please…I miss him too," he said, stumbling over the words. "I beg you, don't do this to me, please don't push me away now that I've found you," he pleaded, his eyes half shut.

"Bryan" she started.

"Promise me," he said.

"I promise"

He sighed, relived and passed out in Lizzie's arms. She stood there for a moment, eyes closed.

"I'm sorry," she said turning to us, "I have to take him home, I can't leave him here like this"

"I'll help you," offered Emmett, "It'll look strange if you carry your friend out"

"Thank you" she said, as my brother took Bryan off of her. He and Jasper both got one of his arms around their necks.

"You still want to come?" Rosalie asked Elizabeth, unsure if that was what she really wanted. I could see my sister was confused about what we had just witnessed.

"Well, I can try and follow your scent once I drop Bryan" she answered.

"I could go with you," I suggested, "I'd show you the way home"

"Sure, that would be good," she said.

"All right let's get going then," Rosalie said, "I think we've attracted enough attention tonight"

Everyone but Edward and I took off.

I glanced at him. His eyes were full of surprise and shame.

_I suppose you 'heard' the story, _I thought.

He nodded his head.

"She loved a human too," I whispered, before walking away, and leaving him to his thoughts and whatever he'd learned from Bryan's mind.

* * *

Once in the parking lot, we reached Lizzie's car. A nice white BMW.

"Nice ride," Emmett complimented, putting Bryan in the backseat.

"Thanks"

"We'll see you in a while," Jasper said. I could see he was a little uncomfortable with the idea of me being alone with Elizabeth, but he didn't voice his worries, nor did he do anything about them.

"Yes," I watched my siblings and husband go and turned to Lizzie.

"Let's go," she told me.

We got into the car, and drove away.

* * *

"That was quite the show back there, huh?" Lizzie asked me after a while, letting out a small humorless laugh.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"No," she replied after a moment. "But I will be, in time," she added.

I nodded.

"You had already met Bryan before," It wasn't a question.

I bowed my head, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry. After you left the gallery yesterday I kind of assaulted him, I'm really sorry, but I was very curious about you"

"I'm not surprised you got him to talk," she said, a small smile forming on her lips, "He always had a thing for beautiful girls"

"He always had a thing for you," I ventured.

"I wish he hadn't," Lizzie said, stealing a glance at Bryan through the rearview mirror. "Sometimes…I wish neither of them had ever met me" her voice wavering.

A couple of seconds passed, "Look, I know it's not my place, but you can't let the guilt and pain consume you," I said, thinking of Edward.

"You don't know what really happened," she stated, her eyes on the road but looking at something else, something I was sure no one but her could see.

"I never assumed that what Bryan told me was the whole story"

"Alice," she said turning her head to look at me intently, "It's my fault Jason's dead" she said, her voice breaking.

I felt my stomach drop, and my eyes widened slightly.

"It wasn't like that," she said, noticing my expression, "I didn't…" she swallowed hard, "I didn't kill him, but I might as well had," she gazed at the passed out Bryan again, "I'm not going to let you be next," she whispered, so low I was sure I wasn't meant to hear it.

I looked out the window. I hadn't been ready for this. I never expected Lizzie to be so straightforward and I didn't know what to say.

"I'll tell you all about it when we're at your place," she said, "I don't want to have to tell it twice"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," I was dying to know the whole story, but if she wasn't comfortable, I wasn't going to press for details.

"No, you have to know, otherwise you won't understand why I am the way I am"

"Okay"

We reached Bryan's apartment a couple of minutes later and used his key. Lizzie settled him on the bed, placing a glass of water by his bedside and running a hand through his blond hair, while gazing at him with sisterly love. I felt like I was intruding, so I went and stood by the door to wait for her.

Soon enough I heard her footsteps.

She tried to smile as she approached me, but I could see through her, "He'll be okay," she said.

"Will you?" I asked.

She looked so vulnerable that I suddenly wanted to comfort her, just like I'd wanted to the night we heard her sing. I surprised myself by taking a step towards her, putting my arms around her waist and hugging her tightly. She tensed at first, clearly taken aback by my actions, but then relaxed and hugged me back just as tightly, letting out a few sobs.

She let go after a moment and composed herself.

"I'm sorry," she said, "Thank you," she smiled.

"You're welcome," I said softly.

"I'm okay now, let's not keep your family waiting,"

I agreed, "Yes, let's not" that being said, she locked the door and we turned our backs to the apartment building, walking away from the distressed and unconscious Bryan.

* * *

**Well, hope it was worth the wait!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello guys! **

**I really hope you're all in good health! You know with the swine flu going on. Fortunately I am too, and since there's no school these days, and I really can't do much, I thought I would be able to write and update faster than the past weeks. **

**I was wrong though! I think I've had more homework these past few days than than the last couple of weeks. School's a mess, and it's kept me from writing anything until now! **

**But well, enough of my ramblings and on with the chapter (the longest yet :P)! Hope you review and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

* * *

Carlisle was standing by the front door before Lizzie and I had even gotten out of the car. His stance was somewhat tense, but he had a welcoming smile on his face. His inquiring eyes met mine and I gave him a small nod to let him know everything was fine.

"Come on," I told Lizzie.

She nodded in response. Her gaze admired the house, but her eyes were guarded, wary. She lingered beside de driveway, hesitating. I frowned a little, _I hadn't given her any reason to doubt us_, I thought, _was she still worried about her safety inside this house full of strangers?_

"You've nothing to worry about, if we wanted to hurt you, we would've done so long ago," I said, trying to ease her worries.

As soon as the words left my mouth she froze, and I quickly wondered if that had been the right thing to say. I became worried myself but was surprised when she chuckled lightly. As if remembering some private joke.

She turned to me, "I don't doubt that Alice," something blazed deep within her eyes, and it scared me. I tried to identify the emotions swimming in her topaz orbs, but they were gone in a flash, replaced by an impassive stare. She tore her eyes away from mine, and took a deep breath before making her way to my father.

I stared after her, confused and shaken.

_What did I say?_

I was beginning to think, that maybe Jasper was right. That maybe, Lizzie's emotions were so strong and diverse, that they could easily get the best of her. One moment she seemed content, relaxed, the next she became terribly sad, or upset. I couldn't figure her out.

I thought back to what had happened, just seconds ago. The way she had transformed that expressive gaze of hers into such a dull stare, so fast, almost as if she'd realized how much of herself she was revealing. I didn't know what to make of her, or the way I felt about her. I felt like I needed to be there for this girl, like she was already a part of my life, almost like a young sister.

On the other hand, she was definitely hiding something, something other than her past with Jason, and I was going to find out what it was.

I heard Carlisle clear his throat and I broke out of my reverie to go and stand by him.

"Lizzie, this is my father, Carlisle Cullen," I said.

"Hello, Elizabeth" he said to her, extending his hand, "Welcome to our home," he added.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen" she said, shaking his hand.

"You can call me Carlisle," he said, "Mr. Cullen's too formal"

"All right, but only if you call me Lizzie,"

Carlisle laughed, "We have a deal, please, do come in," he said stepping aside and gesturing inside.

Again, Lizzie hesitated, just a fraction of a second, enough for Carlisle and I to notice. We exchanged a quick glance and I took Elizabeth's hand and led her to the living room, where everyone else was already waiting. Edward, Sabrina, Emmett and Rosalie were standing in front of the couch. Jasper and Esme stood by the small table in the center of the room; they were the closest to us. Esme came forward and I introduced her, the same as I had done with Carlisle.

"Pleased to meet you Esme," Lizzie said.

"You too dear," my mother replied, a loving smile adorning her face.

There was an awkward silence and Carlisle clapped his hands together. "Well," he started, "Why don't we all take a seat and talk some?" he suggested. We all obliged and sat down, Lizzie and I took the loveseat while Jasper sat on one of the arms right beside me. Carlisle and Esme took two separate chairs across from us.

"Umm…okay, so…anything you want to know?" Lizzie asked.

"How old are you?" Emmett immediately jumped to ask.

She chuckled at his straightforwardness, "Eighteen"

"No, I meant for real," he clarified. Rosalie rolled her eyes and smacked the back of his head.

She smiled at the couple, "I'm forty two,"

Shocked gasps filled the room.

_It can't be,_ I thought incredulous. _That's too much of a coincidence. _

Lizzie looked around at our stunned expressions, "What?" she asked, clueless.

Esme was the one to recover first, "It's nothing Elizabeth, it's just…we lost someone very dear to us forty two years ago, and, we were taken aback by the strange coincidence, that's all"

Something flickered in Lizzie's eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry," she said softly.

I risked a glance at Edward and noticed his clenched fists and jaw. I felt compassion for my brother swelling up inside of me, as I contemplated the kind of thoughts that were probably running through everyone's minds.

"It's okay, Lizzie," I told her reassuringly, "You couldn't have known," I added. She just nodded and kept silent. No one said anything. _All right, this silence won't do,_ I thought. I took matters into my own hands and elbowed Jasper; he stammered out some unintelligible words.

"Excuse me?" Lizzie eyed Jasper, a small, almost mocking, smile on her face.

Edward, Emmett and Rosalie stifled a chuckle and Jasper glared at them. He cleared his throat and said, "I said, 'where were you from?' before you were changed, that is,"

"I lived in San Diego, California, but I was bitten during winter break, in Colorado," she said, turning serious. We stayed quiet, motioning for her to carry on.

"You see, a couple of friends and I had always wanted to go skiing," she continued, "but our parents didn't want us to, and every winter, they told us the same thing over and over, 'next year, you'll all go next year'. We figured they'd never let us go, but then, the year the three of us turned eighteen, our parents surprised us with three flight tickets to Aspen on winter break, they said we were old enough and they trusted us. We couldn't have been happier," she said.

"What happened next?" asked Rosalie.

"We enjoyed our gift, we had a great time," she paused, and her eyes looked unfocused, as if she was reminiscing. "It was almost over, and we wanted to do something daring on our last day at the Aspen Highlands," she began, her voice wary, "So we took the hardest ski path we could find. There had been reports of a possible winter storm rolling through, but we paid no heed to the warnings; we were the last ones to be let up," she shook her head, apprehensively, "We were such fools.

"We began to ski downhill, there were so many trees and it was hard to keep your balance, but the speed, it was exhilarating. I was going so fast that I nearly couldn't stop when I heard Greg's cry. Julie and I turned back to see what had happened, and saw he had fallen and broken his leg. The sky was darkening and the wind was picking up speed. We were so scared," Lizzie said, her voice trembling a little.

"I was the fastest," she continued, "So I told them I'd go get help. I carried on down the narrow path we had chosen, while the weather got worse by each passing second. Soon enough, the storm hit home, and I could barely see anything a couple of feet away. As dumb as it sounds, I ran into a tree…I hit my head and lost consciousness" she closed her eyes briefly. "I never knew how much time I lay there, but when I woke up, I was covered in snow. I remember glancing around, feeling confused, and dizzy when I saw three silhouettes heading my way, I'll never forget those crimson eyes" she shivered and took a quick breath.

"I guess you can figure out the rest," she muttered, "They 'played' around with me, one of them, the woman; she was vicious. She was the one who hurt me the most. I ended up with a broken arm and leg, just for starters. My head was spinning," she sighed, "I don't remember much, just a searing pain going through my entire body, like I was on fire. I thought I was loosing my mind, how could I feel that burning sensation, when just moments ago, I was freezing?" she slowly shook her head, "Anyways, once the transformation was over, I tackled a bear passing by and pretty much figured out what I was"

"Wait a moment, so these vampires that bit you," Carlisle started, "They just left you there?" he asked.

"Only one bit me, but yes," Lizzie nodded, her eyes downcast.

"Do you remember anything about them?" Jasper asked, leaning forward.

She clenched her jaw, "I caught the name of the vampire who bit me, his name was Kurt," she said, her eyes darkening.

"What?" I gasped.

"You know him?" Lizzie asked, her eyes wide, surprise written all over her face.

"My wife had a run in with a vampire with the same name and his coven, a few days ago," Carlisle replied. "We think they might be a part of the Volturri. Did this, Kurt, have a–"

"Tattoo on his right shoulder?" she cut him off. She seemed to take Carlisle's startled expression as a 'yes'. "Yes, he had."

Edward frowned, "How can you be able to remember that?" he asked, genuinely curious. It was the first time he had directly talked to Lizzie.

She turned to him, apparently surprised to hear him addressing her. She stared at him for a moment before answering, "I don't," she said.

His frown deepened, "Then how–"

"I didn't see it that night," she started, "I noticed it when we met for a second time" she stopped, waiting for us to say something. When no one did she continued. "I don't know if I should tell you this," she sighed, becoming nervous, "It'll just make you trust me the less…but you're right about one thing though, they do work for the Volturri."

"How do you know that?" Jasper asked, tensing up. All eyes were focused on the girl sitting beside me. Edward glanced briefly at Jasper, before turning his attention back to Lizzie. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know what was going through my husband's head.

_Danger._

Lizzie sighed again, "Because I too worked for them a while back,"

It all happened very fast then. Everyone was suddenly on their feet, Emmett and Carlisle standing in front of their wives. Edward took a step forward and Jasper pulled me away from Lizzie, who just sat there, and watched us unmoving, like she expected something like this would happen.

"I thought an empath should know better, Jasper," she said quietly, raising her head to meet Jasper's eyes. "You know I wasn't going to do anything," she said.

"What makes you say I'm an empath?" Jasper asked taken aback. I peered out at Lizzie from my position behind Jasper, waiting for her answer.

"The same thing that makes me say, he's a mind reader," she pointed at Edward, "And that Alice can see the future," she answered in a monotonous voice, casting a quick glance in my direction.

"What?" asked Sabrina, "How can she know all that?"

Lizzie let out a humorless chuckle. "You didn't seriously think the Volturri would just let your family grow without keeping close tabs on all of you, did you?" she asked, raising her brows.

"If what you say is true, then, how do we know you're not here on an assignment?" Jasper asked glaring at Lizzie.

"Jasper," I whispered warningly.

"See, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you any of this," she said, finally standing up. She took a step towards Jasper and he let out a small growl. This sudden confrontation caused everyone to stiffen and come closer together.

"I said 'I worked for them'," she said, "as in, past tense,"

"You could easily be lying," he countered.

"Oh! For God's sake! You'd know if I was lying," Lizzie replied, clearly annoyed.

"You could blame your agitation to our current discussion," he said, stubbornly.

She gave him an incredulous look and opened her mouth to argue back.

"Wait," Carlisle interjected, "Your ability is a mental shield, am I right?" he asked.

Lizzie nodded.

"Eleazar, a friend of mine, once told me shields could be lifted, maybe Edward could…" he trailed off.

Edward's eyes sparked with curiosity.

"I'm sorry, but with all due respect, Carlisle, what goes on in my mind is private," she said.

"So you _can_ lift your shield, but you won't" Jasper said, a small triumphant smirk on his face, "What are you hiding?"

Lizzie let out a small, exasperated breath, "You know what, I'm not here to convince anyone" she lifted her hands in surrender, "I'm out of here," she said turning away from us.

"Wait a second!" I called after her, stepping around Jasper to block her way. I wasn't going to let her leave like this; I still didn't know how she was disrupting my visions. Besides, despite what everyone had said, I believed she was good.

"Alice," Jasper said reproachfully.

"I'm sure if we all calm down," I said, looking pointedly at my siblings and husband especially, "We can let Lizzie finish her story, before we start making any assumptions,"

"Look, Alice, don't worry…it's no big deal, I…" Lizzie said.

"No," Esme said, "Alice is right, we're sorry Lizzie,"

"Yes, we are, it's just, Volturri talk isn't the most comfortable topic around here," Carlisle added.

" I can see that," she muttered bitterly, "I understand though,"

"Would you mind telling us the whole story?" he asked.

"Sure," she sighed.

We all reassumed our previous positions and sat down. I grasped Jasper's hand and gave it a squeeze. I knew he hadn't liked what I had done, but I hoped he could feel my conflicting emotions. I wanted to support him, like I always did, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there something else going on.

"Okay, let me get back on track," Lizzie said, looking at nowhere in specific. "After I realized what I had become, I traveled around, never wandering to close to a city or town; always being careful when I hunted," she said. "Eventually, I ran into some vampires, they were intrigued by the way I chose to feed myself, but they let me stay with them for a while. It was from them that I first heard of the Volturri.

"I couldn't get accustomed to this kind of existence. I'm ashamed to say it, but I had no desire to live anymore," she softly confessed, her words coming out like an apology, "So I decided I'd go and see the three brothers, see if they'd grant me my wish," she sighed, "To make the story short, they didn't, but they offered me a place to stay after Aro couldn't use his gift on me, somewhere to belong.

"I was young, and didn't know better, so I stayed. I worked for them for ten years. They never made me kill anyone, and for that, I was grateful. Still, after a couple of years, I couldn't wait to get away from that place, that life. Too bad Aro wouldn't let me," she said, barely concealing the anger in her voice.

"He kept you there against your will?" Carlisle asked.

"You sound surprised," Lizzie stated.

"I never thought he'd do something like that,"

"Well, I had a gift he desired, and Chelsea couldn't change my mind so," she shrugged.

"Chelsea?" asked Edward.

"One of the Guard's newest assets," Lizzie said, "She can sever the bonds you have with the people you love, and make you feel this, loyalty, towards the Volturri"

"What?" I exclaimed, horrified.

"I've seen it happen, and I must say it's pretty useful when Aro wants someone to join the Guard," she muttered.

"So he kept you there?"

She just shrugged again, like she didn't care anymore, but her eyes betrayed her pain. She had suffered, of that I was sure.

"I'm speechless," said Carlisle, "I knew about Aro's obsession with rare gifts, but, to see the lengths he'd go to keep them," he shook his head, "He must have really wanted yours,"

"Oh Carlisle," Lizzie began, almost pitifully, "You have no idea, of the way he talks about your family,"

I felt a knot in my stomach at the mention of my family.

"Especially about Alice and Edward, like they're two of the most prized possessions he could ever hope to have," she said, looking at us with worried eyes.

_Oh my God, _I thought. Jasper felt my discomfort; he took both of my hands, and spread calm around the room. We all visibly relaxed.

"I'm not trying to scare you," she said, "I just thought you should know,"

"Thank you, we appreciate it," Carlisle said gratefully.

She just smiled in return.

"So, you said you only worked for them for ten years, how did you escape from there?" asked Emmett.

"I found a friend within the walls of the castle, he helped me escape," her voice indicated that was all she was going to say about the matter.

"What did you do afterwards?" I asked, knowing we where slowly approaching the tragic love story.

Her eyes darkened considerably, but she only said, "Not much happened during almost three decades. It was only five years ago that I met Bryan in high school, during sophomore year. I was wary of having human friends, but I figured a few superficial friendships couldn't hurt, right? I didn't know the kind of mess I was heading into.

"We reached our senior year, and, as expected, Bryan and I became the best of friends, we knew each other so well. I promised myself this was as far as I would go with a human, but that changed once I met Jason Stephens," her voice trembled when she said his name, "a transfer student," she said.

"I'd been heartbroken and hurt, back when I was human, and he helped me heal old wounds. He showed me how beautiful love could be…I'd forgotten. He brought me back to life," she whispered brokenly.

I felt my heart threatening to break at the sound of her weak voice. I reached out and took one of her hands; she turned and smiled her thank you. Jasper took a long breath and clenched his free hand into a tight fist, while I traced small circles with my thumb on the back of the other. Everyone else just stared at Lizzie, already sensing where this was going.

"He was wonderful, and very smart, so he soon figured out my secret, but he didn't despise me," she said, smiling to herself, lost in her memories, "On the contrary, it seemed to bring us closer together," she paused and let out a small breath of air, "But all good things must come to an end, especially for such fragile beings,"

No one dared say a word.

"We got into a fight. There were vampires in town, they were looking for me, so I told Jason it would be better if we went our separate ways, at least until the dust settled"

_There were vampires coming after her?_ I thought, I wanted to ask her about it, but I didn't want to interrupt.

"We agreed to try it out, we didn't talk and we avoided each other. A week had gone by and Jason came to see me, we met by the edge of the forest near town. He said he didn't want to be away from me anymore. He asked me to turn him into one of our kind, so we didn't have to worry about anything anymore" she frowned and closed her eyes, "I wanted so desperately to say yes, but I told him no. I didn't want him to make that decision based on fear. I wanted him to have a choice, a real choice.

"We couldn't agree to disagree, and he stormed off into the forest. I'd just swept the area and there hadn't been traces of any vampire, and I needed to hunt, badly. So I let him be and went hunting," her eyes were bright with tears and her voice was uneven, "I should've never let him go" regret dripping from her voice.

I squeezed her hand in support.

"I was finishing up when I heard his agonized scream. I panicked and ran there as fast as I possibly could, but I was too late, and Jason," she sobbed, "Jason was already gone…only a lifeless body remained," she dropped her head into her hands, "What if he thought I didn't love him? That I didn't want him?" she whispered.

I saw Edward's tortured expression, and I knew he was thinking of Bella.

" I'm sure he didn't," I tried comforting her, glancing at Rose. She had tears in her eyes and was looking over at Lizzie's shaking form with heartfelt pity.

"You didn't see his face, Alice," she managed to say in between sobs, "It'll haunt me for all eternity,"

"Jazz," I whispered. He shook off his distress and made an effort to calm Lizzie.

It took a while, but after a few moments she was okay again, "Thanks Jasper," she whispered, before straightening up.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, embarrassed at her display of emotion, "You weren't supposed to see that. It's the first time I tell this to anyone and, well…"

"You have nothing to apologize for dear," Esme hastily said.

Lizzie quietly thanked Esme and I glanced around. My whole family was shaken, especially Edward. _You'd do well not think about her right now, _I thought to him. He only closed his eyes and nodded. _We'd all do well not to think about her, _I thought grimly.

I felt Lizzie squeeze my hand gently, before letting go and standing up. "I'm very grateful for this invitation, it was very…beneficial for me, even if you find that hard to believe. But I think I should get going," she said.

"You could stay the night Lizzie," Esme said.

"That's very kind of you, Esme, but I have my own apartment, and I wouldn't want to impose," she told my mother.

"You wouldn't" said Rose, approaching her.

"Thank you, Rosalie, but I think I better go," she said. "One more thing though," she called for our attention, "About Kurt…I don't know what he's got to do with you, but be careful. He's just as dangerous as the Volturri," she warned.

"Thank you, we'll keep that in mind," Carlisle said.

_We'll have to discuss that later_, I thought worriedly.

"I'll walk you to the door," I said dragging her behind me.

"Goodbye," she called out.

A chorus of goodbyes resounded in reply.

I thought about a way to lift Lizzie's mood. I was sure she wouldn't stop thinking about Jason now that she'd revisited her memories. An idea occurred to me then. "You know," I started as she got into her car, "You should come shopping with us tomorrow," I said.

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds before she gave me her yes. "I'll go check up on Bryan first, then I'll meet you here," she said, a true smile on her face.

"Twelve o'clock sharp!" I warned, laughter in my voice.

"I'm scared!" she laughed,

"I mean it!" I said.

"I'll be here," she promised.

"Wait," I closed my eyes and looked into our near future. Joy surged through me and I grinned, there we were, as clear as water. By all means living up to the phrase, 'Shop till you drop'.

"Okay, just making sure. You're good to go,"

She rolled her eyes, "Hey, Alice?" she asked with a serious voice, just as I was heading back to the house.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she said solemnly.

"You're welcome," I said.

"See you," she waved, before revving the engine to life, and driving away.

I watched her go and felt satisfied. My visions were back, my family was safe– I would know before danger came now– and I thought I'd just made a new friend.

I laughed out loud and ran back to the house, ready to share the good news with everyone, before my mood was spoiled.

"Guys!"

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi everyone! **

**Once again, I hope you're all safe and sound!**

**Hope you like this chapter, and I want to thank all the people that reviewed! Really guys you make my day :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does. Also I used a phrase that came from Midnight Sun, that belongs to her too.**

* * *

I waltzed into the house, almost skipping with joy. My visions were back! Finally! I felt so excited; I thought nothing could ruin my perfect mood. Too bad I was about to be proven wrong.

"Guys!" I called out again once my family came into view. "Guess what?"

Everyone stopped talking and turned to face me. Jasper was beside me in a second, gladly taking in the happiness that was coming off of me.

"My visions are back!" I squealed, "Rose, we're shopping tomorrow, Lizzie's coming too," I said, grinning from ear to ear.

Everyone smiled at my excitement, "That's good to hear, Alice," Carlisle said.

"Yeah," sighed Rosalie, "I think a shopping spree's just what I need," she smiled, before her face became serious. It was then that I first noticed everyone seemed agitated, and nervous.

"What's going on?" I asked worriedly.

"Nothing," muttered Jasper.

"What? You still think she's out to get us?" I asked accusingly.

"No," he started, sounding tired, "But I still think she's dangerous,"

"Why?" I exclaimed, a spark of anger surging through me.

"Not her, per se," he quickly amended, "But the people surrounding her past. Don't you find it odd, that she didn't go into any details about her escape from the Volturri? Or the fact that there were vampires chasing after her, not even one decade ago? It's not her I'm worried about, but the danger she can unintentionally bring to our family," he said, looking at Carlisle for support.

Carlisle gave out a sigh, "Jasper's right," he coincided, "Who's to say the Volturri, or that strange coven of vampires aren't coming after her, even as we speak?" he asked.

I could see their point, and I knew they were both right. Still…

"Then, all the more reason for her to stay," I said, taking everyone off guard.

"Alice," whispered Esme, eyes wide.

"Don't you see?" I asked them, "If what you say turns out to be true, then how can we leave her on her own? We'd be able to help her," _The way we couldn't help Bella, _I thought, instantly regretting it when I saw Edward's eyes flash with hurt.

"By putting the safety of _your_ family at risk?" countered Sabrina.

"Darling," Edward began quietly, but I jumped to argue back.

"Just because _you_ can't seem to think about anyone else but yourself, doesn't mean others can't!" I said hotly.

"I agree with Alice on this one," Rosalie interrupted.

"Rose…" I began, speechless.

"What are you saying?" came Jasper's incredulous voice. Rosalie, the same Rosalie that had been too reluctant to let human Bella join us, for fear of what it would do to our way of life, had just agreed to risk our lives for this girl, should the occasion arise?

My sister just shrugged in response, "I like her. Just because I'm vain, doesn't mean I'm heartless. Unlike others…" she said, shooting a glare at Sabrina.

Edward stared at Rosalie in awe, completely disregarding Rose's implicit insult. It made me wonder what kind of thoughts were running through her head.

"Hell yes!" Emmett boomed, "I like her too! I'll stick with Rosie and Alice," he said, putting his arms around his wife. She smiled smugly, raising one eyebrow at Sabrina.

"Eddie," she turned to my brother, "Tell them this is insane!" she exclaimed in that annoying voice of hers, "Tell them you won't allow this!"

"Actually, I think they're right," he said, surprising everyone in the room.

"What?" Sabrina gasped.

"I'm sorry, but I do,"

"Really? You do?" I managed to ask; shocked that he'd go against Sabrina. He usually just went along with everything she said.

He chuckled at everyone's reaction. "Really, I do, we should tell her to stay with us, at least for a while. Who knows? Maybe she'll let me read her mind,"

"What if danger does befall us?" Jasper countered, dismay apparent in his face, he'd been counting on Edward's support.

"Alice will see that coming. Won't you Alice?" he winked at me.

I grinned at him. "Of course,"

It was the first time I'd seen him wink in years. That was the Edward we loved. The one who'd have a voice of his own. Speak his mind whenever he wanted to.

I turned towards our parents, looking at them expectantly.

"Well, I guess we can't leave that girl all alone, can we?" Esme said, the small smile on her face showing off her excitement, despite the danger this decision represented for us. I knew her motherly instincts would kick in soon enough.

"Thank you Esme!" I said, relieved.

Carlisle and Jasper exchanged a defeated glance.

"I guess this is it then," Carlisle said, "I expect every one of you, to be careful, one can never be cautious enough," he said, his voice stern, "Alice," he turned to me, "I want you to be on the constant lookout," he added.

I nodded, "Yes Carlisle,"

Jasper just threw his hands in the air and said angrily, "I hope y'all know what you're doing!" before turning away from us and making his way outside.

"Jazz!" I called out, as I chased after him.

"No, Alice," he said, his tone making me stop in my tracks, "I'm going hunting, alone" he added. Having said that he broke into a run and disappeared from my sight.

I sighed, feeling terrible. It had been years since Jasper and I hadn't seen eye to eye. I didn't like fighting with him, let alone being away from him. It made me feel…empty. Like there was a part of me missing. I gave a slight jump when I felt a hand rest on my shoulder; I hadn't heard anyone approaching.

"He'll come around," Edward said,

"I don't know," I said pessimistically, "I think I messed up quite bad,"

"He's just troubled,"

I looked up at him, waiting for further explanation.

"He knows leaving Lizzie to fend for herself, should she be in trouble, is wrong, not to mention it would make you unhappy" he said.

_Yes, that much I'd suspected. My husband's a loving man who knows right from wrong_, I thought.

"Yes, but," he continued, "He also knows better than anyone the kind of danger a fight with another coven can mean to us," he said, no doubt thinking about Jasper's past and involvement in the newborn wars.

"So you see, he's torn between the desire to make you happy, and the desire to protect you, us," he finished.

I gave out another sigh, I guessed having a mind reading sibling did have its perks every once in a while. Now I didn't have to wonder what was wrong with Jasper until he came back.

I heard Edward chuckle beside me.

"Thank you," I whispered, "For this, and what you did back there,"

"It's nothing, though you better know what you're doing Alice," he said, his tone almost teasing.

"Never bet against Alice," came my singsong reply.

He laughed quietly, shaking his head.

I smiled at the sound.

"Want to talk?" he asked, unexpectedly. "It's been a while,"

I felt a tug at my heart at Edward's invitation. It _had_ been a while since we last talked, really talked. I weighed my options, but decided I wasn't skilled enough to have a heart to heart with Edward and guard Jasper's confession at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I said, sadness filled my voice, "Maybe another time," I walked away from him and headed upstairs.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his eyes showing disappointment.

My resolve almost broke there and then. This was the chance I'd been waiting for, to be able to talk with my brother, without having to deal with Sabrina. I wanted to, _needed_ to have this conversation, but I also needed to keep my promise to my husband, and right then, I couldn't do both. So instead of caving in, I said, "Nothing," while struggling to keep my thoughts away from the truth.

"I know you know, Alice," he sighed, waiting for my reaction.

I decided to play dumb, and think about anything but that little secret, "Know what?"

"Alice, please," he started, "I know I haven't been the best brother these past decades, but you can still be honest with me," his voice came out tired, full of hidden regret. "Am I too late to fix this?"

"Oh Edward," I cried as I ran into his arms, I'd missed my brother.

He hugged me tightly and let out a sigh in relief, "Freaks among freaks, huh?"

I laughed at our private joke, "Forever,"

We stayed silent for a few minutes, both of us grateful to have rekindled our friendship, before Edward pulled away and looked down at me.

"So, now that the cat's out of the bag," he smiled, but turned serious right away, "I suppose you have a lot of questions," he raised his brows.

_My, my, how could he know_, I thought sarcastically, _he can't be a mind reader can he?_

"So funny," he fake smiled.

_That's me._

He rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'd forgotten how annoying you could be,"

"Oh! Excusez-moi monsieur! I–"

"I think this bantering can wait," he cut me off, "It'll be some time till I can get away from her again," he whispered, knowing I'd understand who he was referring to.

"No need to say anymore," I relied, grabbing his wrist and pulling him behind me, "We'll need to get away from the house," I said, stepping outside.

"I know just the place, we won't be overheard," Edward said confidently.

I knew better than to keep my hold on his wrist, and let go, just before he sped away, calling out a faint, "Follow me,"

_Show off_, I thought grudgingly as I ran behind him, dodging trees, every now and then. After a few minutes we reached the top of a cliff that over looked the ocean, it was beautiful.

"Yes, it is," Edward said softly, sitting on a rock.

"You come here often?" I asked, following suit.

He nodded his head, his gaze lost in the waves that crashed on the rocks, below us. "This is where I think of her," he confessed brokenly. I stayed quiet, for I didn't know what to say. Never in my wildest dreams– if I could sleep that is– could I have imagined having this conversation with Edward.

"You had some questions?" he asked, looking up from the hypnotizing view.

"Just one," I said, "Why?" I knew he'd understand.

"Because it hurt too much," he answered in a low voice, locking his gaze with mine, his eyes full of pain and sorrow.

I waited for him to elaborate.

"As bad as it sounds," Edward began, his eyes downcast, "I desperately needed something to keep my mind off of her. I couldn't stop thinking about her, let alone forget her…I'd never forget her," he added, so quietly his words were almost lost in the wind.

"Besides," he carried on, "I didn't want Esme to hurt over me…and Jasper, feeling so guilty all the time, I thought if I…if I appeared to have moved on they would…"he trailed off.

I just sat there, listening to him, trying to justify himself and his behavior.

"I know it doesn't justify my actions," he said, "I just want you to understand why I did it…I didn't know what to do," he looked so lost.

"You could've talked to your family Edward," I mumbled faintly. "We all missed her too. _I _miss her too," I watched him, a hard lump in my throat.

"I know that now,"

I was about to ask him, how could he leave her. I wanted to know, what he had said to her that day. But as these thoughts emerged in my head, so did Edwards melancholy, and I didn't want to bring it up just now. He wasn't ready.

But gosh, did I miss her. Everyone did, even Rosalie.

A small smile crept its way to Edward's face.

"What is it?" I asked curious.

"Nothing, it's just, I never knew Rosalie cared that much about what happened to…her," he said, frowning.

I breathed in the salty spray of the sea, "It just goes to show how much you missed these past years," I shrugged. "You _heard_ her back in the house, didn't you?"

"She was thinking, how she wasn't about to make the same mistake of disregarding someone else as meaningless again, that she would make amends by welcoming Lizzie instead, and saving her if she could," he said.

"She liked Be–" I caught myself before I could finish, "She liked her too, she was just too damn proud to show it," I said, "And jealous," I added as an afterthought.

"I think I understand now," then he added, "Your thoughts weren't so far from hers," he turned to me.

"I'm not going to leave Lizzie alone," I said, steel in my voice. _Not like I did Bella_, I thought, closing my eyes.

"I thought that much,"

"What are you going to do about Sabrina?" I asked, changing the topic.

"I don't know," he said, "At first she did help lessen the pain, but now, I just don't know,"

"You should kick her out," I said, my expression serious.

"What?"

"You heard me,"

"I can't do that," he replied.

"Why not? Everyone hates her guts," I whined.

"Carlisle and Esme­–"

"Are in love with her charade, nothing more," I interrupted him.

"Well, I like her,"

"Excuse me?" I asked, perplexed.

"I don't love her, but that doesn't mean I don't like her," he answered.

"How can you _like_ that thing?" I exclaimed, overly frustrated.

"Alice," he said warningly, "That 'thing' happens to be my girlfriend, and she won't leave unless I say so, am I clear," he said.

"Crystal clear,"

He thought he liked her? Well, I had all eternity to prove him wrong.

Edward just shook his head and stood up. "We better head back,"

I didn't want to start a fight, not now that we'd finally made peace so I opted for retreat. "True," I said, not waiting for an answer and taking off, Edward trailing behind me deep in thought.

* * *

Once we were back, I noticed Jasper standing in the doorway, and I came to a stop a few feet away from him.

"Is that you, Eddie?" Sabrina cried out from one of the windows.

Edward just rolled his eyes, muttered, "I hate that nickname" under his breath and went in.

I stood facing my husband, suddenly nervous.

"Jasp–"

"Ali–"

"Me first," I said, taking a step towards him. "Look, I'm sorry, I really am. I just don't want to leave Lizzie on her own," I said, "I feel like this is what I should be doing…I don't know, I just…" I tried to explain myself, but failed miserably. "Please, try to understand," I sighed.

"Alice, love," he started, his expression soft, "I'm sorry too. I know you, and I know you wouldn't want anything to happen to that girl. I was only trying to look out for you, I don't want to lose you if anything should happen," he said, taking me into his arms, closing the space between us.

"Oh Jazz" I mumbled, as I laid my head on his chest and breathed in his scent. "You won't ever lose me," I whispered.

"No" he agreed, "I won't let that happen," he whispered back.

We stayed that way for a while, both of us enjoying the closeness of the other. I pulled away first, stood on tiptoes and gave Jasper a soft kiss. "Come on in," I said, as I took his hand in mine and walked side by side toward the house.

* * *

"Today's the big day!" I laughed as I rushed past Rosalie.

She laughed as well and told me to turn it down a notch.

"Aw Rose! It's been a long time since we went on a shopping spree, can't you let me be myself?" I asked, pouting.

"Whatever," she waved me off, a smile still on her face.

" Looks like someone's on a good mood," Jasper teased me as he embraced me from behind.

"Hi honey," I said giving him a swift kiss as he spun me around, laughing out loud. I could practically feel the waves of happiness that rolled off my husband.

"Well Jasper, man, you've outdone yourself!" Emmett said, beaming as he entered the kitchen, then he added in a teasing tone, "Wait, I'll get the camera, Rosie's about to squeal!"

"Shut up!" she chuckled, as he picked her up in bridal style. She slapped him playfully and he feigned hurt before kissing her passionately.

Jasper and I laughed at their antics when I had a flash of a girl approaching our doorstep. I glanced at the clock.

_Twelve o'clock. _

_Right on time,_ I thought, smiling.

The doorbell resounded and I bounded to the entrance. I was surprised to see Edward was already there, holding open the door and greeting Lizzie in a civilized way.

He spared me a glance at my thoughts.

Well it's not my fault if he's given me reasons to doubt his persona.

I saw him take a deep breath, while Lizzie's confused eyes darted from Edward to me, and back again.

"Forgive me, Alice is being…Alice," he said in that velvety voice of his, "Do come in," he said stepping aside to clear the way.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a small, insecure smile.

He smiled in response and excused himself. I noticed a strange look on her face as she watched him leave, but let it go. After all, it wasn't the first time my brother had attracted the eyes of the female population.

"You're here just in time," I said out of the blue, making her jump a little.

She grinned and turned to me, "I don't think I wanted to experience the 'Wrath of Alice'" she laughed, "You seemed pretty serious yesterday,"

"And I was!" I exclaimed, "It's a good thing you listened to me," I said. "So, you ready," I smiled conspirationally at her.

Her smile wavered a little and she said, "As ready as I'll ever be,"

"Well, that's good enough for me," I said simply. "Jazz, we're leaving honey! Rose come on!" I called out.

Jasper was at my side in a second, and, like a gentleman, he greeted Lizzie as he would a friend.

"Nice to see you came by," he said, "Alice was pretty excited about this shopping trip,"

"I'm glad she invited me," she replied shyly.

Just then Rosalie and Emmett came out of the kitchen, and said hello.

"Well, let's go!" my sister said, after having kissed Emmett one more time.

"Bye Jazz," I said, pecking him on the lips.

"Bye, love," he smiled. "Just, take it easy on the credit card," he added.

"Don't I always?" I replied teasingly as I walked outside to join Lizzie and Rose.

"Knock 'em dead baby!" Emmett called after Rose, a big goofy grin on his face.

"Sure, will!" she called back.

"Wait," said Lizzie before we got inside the Porsche, "Isn't…Sabrina coming too?" she asked.

"No," Rosalie answered easily.

"She wasn't invited," I said, "Believe me, you'll have a better time if she's not around," I smiled, "I know we do," I shrugged.

She laughed quietly, and I opened my mouth to make another remark about Sabrina but clamped it shut when a vision came to me.

_A cloaked figure sprang from the woods and faced three perplexed vampires standing around a yellow Porsche. Us._

I came back to my senses and gave a cry of warning. It seems I was too late. A vampire had already appeared on the edge of the woods and was coming towards us.

The figure came to a stop a few feet away from us and lifted its head. Its hood fell back and revealed its face.

"You?" asked an incredulous Lizzie, a look of pure shock written all over her face.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! I'm back sooner than I expected!**

**I want to say thank you to my reviewers, old and new! Really guys, reviews put a smile on my face! :D**

**Also, I might not be updating for about a week, maybe, I'm not sure yet, I have my finals and well..I have my finals :)**

**Well, nothing more to say but enjoy the chapter people!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

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The cloaked, redheaded, vampire stood motionless, as Lizzie gasped at the sight in front of her.

_She knows her?_ I thought, puzzled.

"Lizzie?" I called her, uncertainly.

The girl frowned a little at the mention of Lizzie's name.

Lizzie, however, didn't seem to have heard me, and Jasper and Emmett were suddenly positioned between us, and the newcomer.

"Who are you? What do you want?" they both asked respectively. A threatening snarl escaping Jasper's throat.

The girl stayed silent, paying no attention to them whatsoever, and staring intently at Lizzie instead, her crimson eyes appeared confused before shining with recognition and disbelief.

Lizzie stepped around Emmett to stand face to face with the redhead.

"Liz–" Emmett started reaching out for her, but stopped after she shook her head.

"Hello, Lizzie," the girl greeted her awkwardly; as if it was the first time she'd called her that.

"I…" Lizzie stuttered, "I thought you were dead," she managed to whisper, an astonished look still etched on her face.

"And _I_ thought, I'd never see you again," she replied, taking a hesitating step forwards, eyeing my husband and sibling.

Lizzie surprised us all then, by running forwards and embracing the girl, who grinned and returned the hug fiercely.

I exchanged a quick glance with Rose and let out a sigh in relief, at least they seemed to be friends.

"What's going on out here?"

I turned around at the sound of Edward's worried voice. He was hurrying towards us, his eyes scanning the scene that lay before him, assessing the situation.

"That's what _I'd_ like to know," Jasper muttered, looking pointedly at Lizzie.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she said sheepishly, "Guys, this is Anna," she said, "Anna," she addressed her, "These are the Cullens, that's Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward," she pointed at each one of us.

I noticed how Anna's eyes flashed when Lizzie pointed Edward, but I didn't make anything out of it.

"Why can't I read your mind either?" Edward bluntly asked Anna.

The question caught her off guard but she recovered and answered easily, "Because I'm a shield too," casting a glance at Lizzie, who was watching her out of the corner of her eye.

Jasper opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to it.

"How do you two know each other?"

Anna made a face and turned to look at Lizzie again, as if asking for permission, she just shrugged in response.

"We met in Volterra when–"

"You were working for the Volturri?" Jasper guessed.

"Yes," Anna said, stretching the word, "I don't work for them anymore, so don't have anything to worry about," she said, "I was as much prisoner there, as Lizzie was,"

"How did you escape?" Lizzie asked her.

"Well, after the old man told me you were gone, I decided I'd make a run for it too," she said, then she chuckled lightly, "Everyone was so busy searching for you, that they didn't even notice I was gone till it was too late,"

Lizzie smiled a little, "I guess we were both lucky to get away,"

"Yeah," she coincided.

Silence settled in before Lizzie broke it.

"Hey, Anna, don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm not happy to see you," Lizzie started. "But, what are you doing here?"

Anna's eyes traveled through the members of my family before answering, "That can wait, you had plans I see," she pointed at the Porsche and the keys in my hand.

"Shopping," Rosalie said, speaking for the first time.

For some reason, Anna seemed to find that absolutely amusing, because she burst out laughing.

"Shopping?" she smirked at Lizzie, her eyebrows raised, "That sure sounds fun," she said, laughter in her voice.

I watched the scene playing before my eyes confused. _What was so funny?_

"Don't pay attention to her," Lizzie told us with an eye roll, "I always thought something went wrong during her transformation, I think she kind of lost it, if you know what I mean," she said.

"Oh Lizzie! Don't be so mean!" Anna laughed, "I just never thought I'd see the day you actually _wanted_ to go shopping you know,"

"You don't like shopping?" I asked Liz, disappointed.

"No, Alice I do–"

A snort interrupted her.

"But I didn't use to," she finished, "And for your information," she glared at Anna, "I've recently developed a liking for shopping, thank you very much," she said.

"All right, all right," Anna replied lifting her hands in surrender, "Whatever you say, my friend," she said, the smile on her face never wavering.

Jasper finally relaxed, Emmett was even smiling at the girls and Edward just stood there, a sad look on his face.

_You okay?_ I thought.

He looked at me and forced a small smile.

_We'll talk about it later._

He gave an almost imperceptible nod.

I turned around and invited Anna to our shopping trip.

"Oh, no I could never," she started, "I don't want to be a bother,"

"You wouldn't be,"

"No, really," she said, "But thanks anyway, I think I'll just wait here, maybe go and look around town," she looked at Lizzie then, "I'll come looking for you later, if that's okay," she faced Jasper.

He nodded.

"We have a lot of catching up to do," Anna told Lizzie with a smile on her face, despite the seriousness in her eyes.

"I know," Lizzie replied.

"Well, see ya!" she waved goodbye before vanishing into the woods.

Lizzie sighed and shook her head disbelievingly, "I can't believe this," she said quietly.

"You seemed to be close," Edward said.

"We were, until Aro told me she was killed in a mission,"

"Why would he lie?" Rosalie asked, confused.

"I don't know," she sighed.

"Well, at least now you found each other and you know she's okay," Emmett said.

"Yeah," she smiled at him, "You're right,"

I decided to change the topic, now that she seemed to be taking well her friend's sudden appearance "So, you still up to our trip?" I asked her.

"Sure" she said, "Let's go"

"Be careful," the boys said as we got into the car.

"We'll be," we said, as I drove down the driveway.

* * *

We'd been driving for about an hour, just talking nonsense, we'd had a great time shopping, and I sincerely enjoyed dragging Lizzie to every store I possibly could. It seemed to be, her recently developed liking for the sport wasn't that much developed yet. I stifled a laugh at the memory of the horrified expression on her face when I told her I was buying her enough clothes to refill her closet, she had been even more horrified when she saw I meant it. I sighed, she reminded me so much of Bella.

I shook myself out of my reverie and noticed Lizzie was a little down. _She must still be thinking about Anna_, I thought to myself.

"Oh come on Lizzie! We didn't shop as much as we could have, don't tell me you're tired," I said in a teasing voice.

She just gave me a weak smile and returned to staring out the window.

I frowned "Are you okay Lizzie?" I asked concerned.

"Me? Yes, why?" she said all too quickly.

I made an: 'Are you really asking me that question?' face.

She sighed, "I'm fine, it's just, Anna suddenly coming back from the dead…I'm a little overwhelmed. She was someone I loved very much and…when I got word of her 'death'…" she shook her head, "I don't know, I guess, losing a friend like her, after having lost so many already I felt…Ah! I don't know…I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense am I?" she frowned.

I waited a couple of seconds before answering her question, while I debated if I was ready to share Bella with Lizzie. I looked at Rosalie, and I could tell she was wondering the exact same thing. She nodded her head and I voiced my thoughts.

"We do understand," I said, "The loosing a friend part, you remember what Esme told you last night? About what happened forty two years ago?"

She nodded, "You lost someone,"

"Not just someone, she was Edward's love, and she was human," I said slowly, "Her name was Bella," I added softly.

"But, isn't Sabrina Edward's–"

"No, not by a long shot," I said, "Sabrina comes later into the story, much later," I said, my dislike for her clear in my voice.

"Oh, so, what happened to her? Bella I mean" she asked quietly.

I took a deep breath, "She was…" I started, "She was killed by some wild animal and, we should've been there to save her, _I _should've been there I…I couldn't, I didn't…" I stuttered my eyes filling with unshed tears. I blinked them back and scolded myself for not being strong enough to utter a single coherent sentence, without tearing up.

"I think to better understand, you have to know everything, from the very beginning," Rosalie said, taking over and squeezing my hand.

I saw a stunned Lizzie nod at Rosalie, but she never took her wide eyes off of me. So many emotions were swirling inside of them, that I couldn't pinpoint any in specific.

"This all happened in a small town called Forks," Rosalie began, "We had a good life there, Carlisle was a renowned doctor and the rest of us were happy, _I_ was happy. We got to be almost normal you know, going to school and all, everything was going smoothly, till Isabella Swan chose to exile herself into the very core of our lives."

Despite the guilt and sadness that were building up inside of me I chuckled under my breath. Leave it to Rosalie to be such an overdramatic.

She ignored me and carried on, "You see, she had the worst luck ever, and as expected from a person with such luck, or lack thereof, she wounded up in the same classroom as my thirsty brother," she rolled her eyes, "I still don't understand how he managed to resist the pull her blood had on him. At the end of that day, he ran away to visit some friends of ours and stay away from Bella. He came back though, and ended up saving her from being crushed by a van, almost exposing us for what we really were, I was so, _furious_ at him,"

Lizzie stayed silent, waiting for Rose to continue.

"I despised her there and then," she said, "How could an insignificant human, threaten my family so?" she asked, clenching her fists at the memory, "Anyway, the night after the accident, we all sat down and addressed the situation in our hands," she shook her head once, "If it had been up to me or Jasper, she would've been dead by the next morning"

"What?" Lizzie gasped, "You really would've killed her?"

"Try to see it from my point of view," Rosalie replied calmly, "If Bella chose to talk, we were all goners. I was only trying to look out for my family, and she was just a human," she shrugged.

She seemed to consider it before saying, "Yes, I see your point,"

"Anyhow, even aware of the danger that girl posed to all of us, Edward wasn't going to budge, he was dead set on protecting her, even if it led to a fight with his family," she said.

"So, he loved her enough to go against all of you?" she asked in a low whisper.

"He hadn't realized it yet," I answered before Rosalie could, "But he would,"

"You see, that night, Alice shared a vision with us, a vision that changed everything," my sister said. "It made Jasper's resolve to take Bella out of the picture waver, just enough for Alice to see that she wouldn't talk, that we'd be 'safe'"

"What did you see?" Lizzie asked me.

"I saw, Bella and I standing together," I said, smiling as I remembered that vision, the apparently rock solid future we had had in store, "Arms around each other, both smiling, no difference in our appearance but her eyes, hers were red crimson, a newborn. She would become one of us sooner or later. I told Jasper, we'd be friends, that I'd love her someday, and I did," I said softly, "I did," I repeated, "But only to lose her soon after."

I felt Lizzie staring at me intently; so much it made me nervous.

"Well, we will not bother you with the details, the important thing here is Edward and Bella fell in love," Rosalie said. " We got to know her and, well, I hate to say this but, she was actually kind of…nice," she managed to say.

I smiled at my sister. I knew how much it cost her to say that out loud.

"I, though," she continued, "Being the way I am, did nothing to make her feel welcome," she said, regret seeping through her voice. "I'm ashamed to say this, but I never treated her like I should have, because I felt…" she stopped and took a deep breath, "I felt jealous of her," she finished with a sigh.

"You? Jealous of her?" Lizzie asked, incredulous and confused, "A human?" she raised her brows, as if questioning my sister's sanity.

"I know how that sounds," she said tiredly, "But you must understand, I never wanted this life for me, true, I have Emmett now, but I always wanted to have children, to experience life as a human would, to be _normal_," she emphasized. "She had everything I couldn't have, every possibility, and yet there she was, ready to throw it all away for immortality," she closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again.

I saw understanding flash in Lizzie's eyes and I knew she didn't think ill of Rose.

"I know it's not an excuse, but I felt terrible about it after she died and I saw the repercussions her death had on my family," Rosalie said.

"You said you weren't there for her when she needed you," Lizzie said in a low voice, and it surprised me to hear the tiniest hint of accusation in her sentence, "Why weren't you?"

I gripped the wheel tightly, the guilt washing over me, "We wanted to celebrate her eighteenth birthday," I said, "But things took a turn for the worst when she got a paper cut from the wrapping of a gift, Jasper couldn't take the bloodlust and he lunged at her. Edward was fast enough to bar his way though, and Bella didn't suffer any life-threatening wounds.

"But that incident was enough to confirm Edward's doubts about the danger Bella was in, just because she spent time with us, he made the decision to leave right then. Jasper felt so guilty, he still does," I said, shaking my head, "He made us swear we wouldn't intrude in her life anymore, and he banned me from ever searching for her future again. He thought he was protecting her, but he couldn't have been more wrong"

"You should've seen what leaving did to our family," Rosalie muttered, "Edward left, to track down and take out a vampire that held a grudge against him and Bella, this made Esme sad which, in turn, began to cripple the family"

I had been too lost in the story that I didn't notice we had reached the house already.

"Rosie!" Emmett's voice boomed from the forest, "You're right on time love! Everyone's hunting! Let's go!"

"I think I'll pass," I said.

Rosalie turned to Lizzie and said, "I'll let Alice tell you the rest. I'm glad you came along," she smiled, "I had a great time,"

"Yeah me too," she smiled back.

"See you later," she said, running off towards Emmett's voice.

I rested my forehead on the wheel and let out a long breath.

"You don't have to finish if you don't want to," Lizzie said, touching my shoulder in a comforting manner and gazing at me with concern.

"No, I'm almost done," I stopped the engine and got out of the car.

"Okay," said Lizzie, as she went to stand beside me.

"Six months passed since our departure," I mumbled, "And I couldn't take it anymore, I'd had enough of Edward's nonsense. I missed my best friend. To be honest, I thought he wouldn't be able to stay away from Bella that long, but he proved me wrong. I took the first flight to Forks and went straight to her house, I–"

"Wait," she interrupted, "You came back?" she asked, surprise and something like dismay written in her features.

I nodded, choosing to ignore her reaction, "But I was too late, she was already gone," I whispered, "Mauled by an animal of some sorts,"

"How did you know that?"

"Because I was there when Charlie, her father, was told the news," I said, "I couldn't believe my ears, so I went to the clearing were they had found her blood, and shreds of her clothes. I couldn't find anything, it was raining, and there was nothing left for me to see but crashed trees and markings made by claws," I shuddered, and looked up to see Lizzie.

Her eyes were glued to the ground and her mouth was slightly opened, as if what I'd just said had shaken her world. I decided to carry on, without disturbing her.

"I went to her funeral," I said, "But I couldn't find the strength to comfort Charlie, nor to read her name on that grave," my voice wavered, "I guess, I was afraid if I did, then everything would be real, and I didn't want it to be real yet," a sob escaped me, "I know what it's like to have a friend ripped away from you unexpectedly. The blow comes so fast you…you barely know what hit you," I choked out, shutting my eyes.

My body started to shake with sobs and suddenly, I felt two comforting arms wrapping tightly around me. Lizzie was hugging me with as much strength as she could muster, sobs racking her body, the same as me; normally I would've protested, but right now, it was all that was keeping me from falling apart.

When I made de decision to share this story with Elizabeth, I hadn't thought something like this might happen. I thought I was over this, or at least, past the stage were I couldn't talk about it. Also, I was a little confused at Lizzie's reaction to Bella's story and my pain. But what she said next, threw me out of the loop.

"I'm sorry Alice," she whispered, "I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed, increasing her grip, "I…I wish I could…I really wish I could tell you…I" she broke off and let out a few more sobs. She kept crying, and apologizing over and over again and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to her apology. Despite this thought, I clung to her as if my life depended on it. I let myself cry without tears until I could no more.

A couple of seconds passed and,

"Lizzie?" came Anna's uncertain voice.

We both let go of each other and sniffed.

"I'm coming," she said.

"You go," I told her reassuringly, "I'll be okay…thank you and, good luck," I said gesturing in Anna's direction. "I'll talk to you later,"

"I'm so sorry Alice," she whispered one last time, her eyes confirmed my suspicions, that apology meant so much more than a simple offering of condolences.

I nodded my head once and she joined Anna, they got into Lizzie's car and sped away into the quiet night, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

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**Haha I had you going there huh? **

**Did you think our cloaked figure was Kurt? :P**

**Thank you for reading everyone! Tell me what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello guys!**

**First of all, thank you guys for all your reviews!! :D**

**And second, I'm so sorry it took me forever to update! Really I am, more so because I think you'll have to wait some more for the next chapter. You see the thing is, I don't have any written chapters, I'm making it up as it goes so.. anyways on with the chapter!**

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I stood perfectly still in the shadows –on the branch of the tree I'd climbed up earlier– so as to not alert the mountain lion wandering beneath me. I watched quietly as it came to a stop with its back on me, how its ears pricked up at the sound of chirping birds. As I followed his every move with my thirsty eyes, a piercing thought assaulted my troubled mind, one that went with me to every hunting trip for the last forty-two years.

_Was this how my Bella had looked to the animal that ended her life? An unsuspecting prey; waiting for death from a bloodthirsty animal? _

I couldn't help but see the similarities between both situations. And it hurt. Because that was how I felt. I felt like an animal. _That_ was my true nature; I was a monster, the worst kind. My mind went back to the pictures I'd seen in Alice's head all those years ago. Her blood, her clothes ripped to pieces. My dead heart burned with agony at the thought of my angel, my sweet angel, being trashed about on the forest floor. How on Earth did she wind up there, on her own?

_You left her in the first place, remember?_ An annoying voice on the back of my mind taunted me.

I shook my head, _shut up, _I thought furious, my clenched fists trembling with anger. I hated having these random conversations with myself, not because I thought I was loosing it, but because I knew that voice was right. And _that_ was one of the things that made me despise myself even more.

_Had she been lost? Had she been scared?_

I shut my eyes tightly and tried to erase the images I'd conjured. My Bella's beautiful face, contorted in pain and fear, her fragile limbs broken, again and again. I sighed. I'd give up everything I had to take back all these years, get rid of all the damage I'd done to the people I loved.

The sudden breeze blew the mouthwatering scent right up to my face and made my throat ache. It was then that I remembered what I was supposed to be doing, hunting. I pushed away every thought of Bella and I distracted myself with the task at hand.

_Like you've been doing with Sabrina, _remarked the voice inside my head.

This time, however, I didn't bother giving an answer.

I tackled the unsuspecting mountain lion to the ground and it let out a vicious snarl. It turned around and opened its jaws, intending to bite my shoulder. I moved out of the way and locked my arms around its neck breaking it with a twist, and then I drained the animal of its blood.

I was never this quick when hunting a mountain lion, but I couldn't find it me to enjoy the hunt. Not when I thought of the sickening resemblance of my prey and my Bella. Once I'd finished burying the carcass under a tree I turned and stared at the trail that led home.

_Home._

Such an empty word without Bella by my side.

I sighed and allowed my mind to wander off. I didn't want to go home just yet; even if being there had eventually become bearable, and my family didn't mention _her_ anymore, I could still hear her, right there, on the back of their minds.

Every time I saw her eyes, and her face, knowing I'd never feel her presence anymore, nor touch her soft skin ever again, I felt as if my dead heart was being crushed to dust. As if there was something left worth tearing apart.

I heard Jasper's thoughts before I could hear his footsteps.

_Why the long face Edward__?_

I saw myself through his eyes and flinched a little at the sight of me. Even though I had just hunted, my eyes still weren't as bright as they once were, and my face looked emaciated, consumed. I didn't know why this surprised me; I'd been looking like this for years.

"I don't know, you tell me," I muttered. I was not in the mood for small talk, besides, most times, Jasper knew exactly how I felt before I could even realize it. It was annoying.

"Jeez, where would I start?" Jasper mused, as he approached and circled me, "Let's see, you're upset, I don't need to be an empath to notice that, it's written all over your face. There's anger, confusion, disappointment…and you're still drowning yourself in your endless pain, but you're getting better at hiding it, I'll give you that." he said, "Despite that, you're still an utter mess Edward," he added.

His thoughts were ones of worry and sympathy, he understood me better than everyone ever did, after all, he _could_ feel my emotions.

"Yes well, that's me," I shrugged. My answer caught him off guard; he had expected me to deny it.

"I don't get it you know, yesterday you seemed to be…" he hesitated, his thoughts searching for the right word before settling for a simple '_okay_'. "Alice said you guys had sorted out your…issues, she was very happy you know, and you were too,"

I took a breath but Jasper carried on.

"Don't bother telling me it's not true," he said, "You know you can't lie to me,"

"You're right, I was happy, at the moment," I admitted, "But that's as far as happiness goes for me," I said lowly.

_Right, _Jasper thought, before changing the topic altogether, _what do you think of Elizabeth Stephens?_

"Lizzie? I think she's okay. Gone through a lot, but okay," I shrugged.

He let out a short breath and began pacing, like he always did whenever something was troubling him.

"I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's what I think,"

"But, don't you– Alice trusts her, I should too, but…I just can't shake the feeling there's something off with her," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Can't you see she's–"

"Jasper," I interjected before he could carry on, "Just because I think she's okay, it doesn't mean I don't think she's hiding something," I said.

A triumphant expression appeared on his face, but I continued before he could say what he was thinking.

"It doesn't mean I think she's dangerous either," I said firmly.

"What?" exclaimed Jasper, all traces of victory gone from his features.

"You heard me, I don't think she poses a threat to our family," I said slowly.

"She worked for the Volturri Edward, you and I both know you can't just walk away from that," he argued.

"You were in the newborn wars Jasper," I countered, "And I don't see you hurting anyone anytime soon,"

He tensed up, _that's different, it was a long time ago, and you know me. _

"We're getting to know her too,"

_That's not the point; you seriously think Aro would let such a powerful shield just slip away? Don't you think he would've tried to recover it?_

"Maybe he did try, and didn't succeed," I said.

_Why are you so intent on defending her? _Jasper asked confused. _You were the one who didn't want to have anything to do with her in the first place!_

_Well, that's a good question_, I thought. I had no idea why I was standing up for this girl. Maybe it was Alice, I had already taken away her best friend, and I didn't have the heart to take someone else away from her. _Yes,_ I thought, _I'm doing this for my favorite sister_.

I didn't say anything out loud though and instead I chose to ignore my brother's last question.

_She could be all lies, Edward. Doesn't it bother you, that you can't read her mind?_

I sighed. _Did it bother me?_ At first yes, it did, I was furious at Lizzie. How dare she have a silent mind, same as my Bella? I couldn't stand it. But now, now I just tried dulling the pain that came whenever I heard the silence she radiated. I sometimes even enjoyed it, because of the memories of Bella that resurfaced whenever I listened to it. It made me feel close to her.

"You have to let go someday you know," Jasper suddenly said, without thinking about it, thus giving me no warning.

My eyes snapped in his direction, "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my face expressionless.

"She reminds you of her," he said simply.

There was no point denying it, "So what if she does?" I said straightening up.

He just shook his head in a disappointed manner, "Edward, you can't live like this, it will eventually consume you, until there's nothing left," he whispered.

"Don't try to tell me how to live my life Jasper," I replied, clenching my jaw.

"You're my brother, and I love you, I'm only trying to help you Edward," he sighed.

"Well, don't," I hated being this cold towards my siblings, but I couldn't risk going where this conversation was headed. I wasn't strong enough.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for her death Edward," he said, eying me closely, but flinching once he sensed what his comment had done to my emotional state.

Fury swept through me, and the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, "Look who's talking," I saw the hurt look that crossed Jasper's face and I immediately regretted my sudden outburst. He'd never stopped feeling guilty for attacking Bella on her birthday. He thought it was his fault I made my decision to leave her, and as a result, he blamed Bella's death on himself. He shouldn't feel that way. I was the one to introduce her to our world, when he knew it was wrong, if anyone was to blame, it was me.

"Jasper," I started quietly.

"Don't Edward," he barely whispered, "I'll see you at home," having said that he left without another word.

I clenched my fists in anger, despised at myself for having said that to Jasper. I let out a deep growl as I punched a hole into the ground and breathed heavily for a few seconds, trying to calm myself. After a couple of minutes I stood up, covered the mess I'd made­– in case any hikers passed this way– and sprang home.

* * *

I was circling the house, planning on climbing to my room through the window when Alice intercepted me.

_What happened?_ Came her silent question.

I was about to reply but she cut me off.

_Don't you dare tell me it was nothing, _she warned. She showed me her memory of Jasper a few moments ago; he had come home, kissed her swiftly and walked upstairs asking for some time on his own. _I'll ask you again, what happened? _She demanded, her eyes stern.

"I said something I didn't mean," I said feeling ashamed, casting my eyes downwards.

"Oh Edward," Alice began, as she walked up to me. "Tell me you didn't," her thoughts were on Bella, and her eighteenth birthday.

My silence told her everything she needed to know.

"Edward!" she exclaimed, raising her voice, "How _could_ you? You know how he feels about it! For God's sake! I've been trying for years to get him to forgive himself with no positive results, and then you go and do this!" she was seething, and for a moment she looked exactly like vampire's were supposed to look like, dangerous.

"Alice, I was mad…I…I…" I gestured helplessly with my hands, "I didn't mean it," I whispered.

"You didn't mean it?" she practically yelled at me, "_You didn't mean it?_ Is that truly the best you can come up with Edward?"

"It's the truth Alice," I said, not really trying to defend myself. I was ready to take the slap she wanted so desperately to give me, but was holding back.

I saw her close her eyes and take a long deep breaths until she stopped shaking.

"Alice, I'm sorry," I said reaching out to her.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," she said, moving away.

"I know, but what else do you want me to do?" I asked, "He wouldn't listen to me,"

"Well, I wouldn't either,"

"Will you please just tell him I'm sorry?"

She was silent for a moment before giving me a yes.

"Thank you," I said, turning my back on her and heading for the woods once again.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked me, grabbing my elbow.

"I'm going for a run," I replied.

"You just got home,"

"I don't feel like going inside," I said.

"Edward," she sighed, _is this about Lizzie and Be–_

She stopped when I let out a soft growl, and sighed again, _is this about them?_

Why couldn't anyone in this household understand? I didn't want to talk about it, her. "What makes you say that?" I asked, pretending to be indifferent.

"Oh please, don't take me for a fool Edward," she said stepping around me to stand face to face. "I know you've noticed the similarities between the two of them, same as me,"

I looked her in the eye and saw what she saw. The way Lizzie cared for Bryan, as if he were just a child, same as Bella had done with her mother; their personalities, Lizzie had given the impression of being selfless too, if you put aside that part of her that had to toughen up because of everything she'd gone through. And her smile, they had the same beautiful smile, though Lizzie's was always tainted with sadness.

_You should've seen her this afternoon, _Alice thought_, it was exactly the way I'd pictured taking Bella on a shopping trip would've been like._

Despite my present mood, I had to stifle a laugh at Lizzie's horrified expression, as Alice dragged her from store to store. Alice thoughts began to drift away and settled in the slight chance that my Bella and Lizzie could be the same person.

"It's not her Alice," I said under my breath.

"But, Edward," she said, her eyes sad.

"Alice," I said softly, "They look nothing alike. It can't be her Alice, no matter how hard we wish she was," I added, comparing my memory of Bella and that of Lizzie.

She sighed, "Yeah, I know, it's just…" _I miss her, a lot._

"I know, me too," I said, giving her a tight hug.

"Don't take too long," she said as she let go.

"A couple of hours tops," I told her before making haste and running to the woods once again.

I didn't know where I was headed; I just ran and let my feet take me wherever they wanted to go. I didn't want to have anything to do with the world outside this place. I got lost in the sound and smell of the forest, fresh air, and the crunching leaves beneath me.

I'd been running for a couple of miles when suddenly I collided with something. Hard. It sounded like thunder, on the mightiest of storms. It wasn't until I was rolling downhill that I noticed it wasn't something I'd collided with, but _someone_. It pushed me off with a snarl, and I banged against a tree, taking it down with me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the figure crouch in a fighting stance, growling, and I quickly mimicked the position, and turned completely to face the stranger.

"Edward?"

"Elizabeth?"

I was dumbfounded, and as I looked into her surprised butterscotch eyes, I could almost gaze into her soul. I thought I saw something familiar, and I felt something stir deep inside of me. I shook it off and we both immediately straightened up.

"What are you doing here?" we asked in synch.

We both chuckled, "I came out for a run, you?" I asked.

"Me too," she said breathlessly, "I think I need to watch out were I'm going though, it seems," she said, smiling.

An awkward silence settled in.

"I'm sorry, for pushing you off like that," she apologized, "I was afraid you were someone else," she said.

"It's okay, no blood, no foul right?" I grinned reassuringly.

Her eyes glazed over and she nodded with a small smile. As I watched her reaction I found myself wishing once again, that I could hear what she was thinking.

"Would you mind telling me who it was, you confused me with?" I asked, hoping for an insight of her mind. Maybe she could share something with me. Something that would help me understand her.

"It's not important," she waved the question off.

Or maybe not.

"It's beautiful out here," Lizzie said, out of the blue.

I looked around and realized we had stumbled upon my safe haven. I stared at the ocean for a couple of seconds before noticing Lizzie was entranced by the view.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Sure," she said, never taking her eyes off the sea or the cliffs, "It's just, this reminds me of a place I used to call home, that's all,"

"You miss it," I said, more like a statement than a question.

"Yes," she whispered.

We stayed quiet for a while, gazing at the ocean and watching the sunrise, this time however, in a comfortable silence. At least, until I decided to break it.

"Do you miss him too?" I asked.

"Huh?" she turned to me, confused.

"Jason, I mean,"

She swallowed hard and nodded her yes.

"I miss someone too," I confessed. I hadn't the slightest idea of why was I even starting this conversation, but all of a sudden I felt this strange urge to talk about Bella. I wanted to share my feelings and story with Elizabeth.

"Your human ex girlfriend," she said.

I looked at her puzzled, "Alice told me," she shrugged.

"My Bella," I nodded, picturing her smiling face.

"But you have…Sabrina now, don't you?" she asked me, something strange in her voice.

"It's complicated," I sighed.

"How so?" she countered, "You moved on, it's as simple as that," I stared at her for a moment; I hadn't expected her to say something like that.

"No I–"

"You left her, am I right?"

"Yes, but–"

"Only to protect her, yes I know that too," she interrupted me once again. "But please Edward, am I supposed to believe you left the love of your life, because you thought you were endangering her?"

"Of course, it's the truth!" I exclaimed, anger rising up in my chest.

"Oh come on, you can say it out loud, she was just a distraction, you got bored, tired of trying to be something you weren't and it was hard to keep a relationship with a human, believe me, I should know," she said, a dark look crossing her face.

Her choice of words left me unsettled but I ignored it for the time being.

"She wasn't a distraction! You don't hear me questioning anything about _your_ Jason, you were going to leave him too!"

"That's different," she argued back, "Our problems at that time were far bigger than yours were," she said through her teeth.

"Really? Bigger than having your own family thirst for the blood of the one you love?" I growled, "That's danger twenty four seven!"

"There were people coming after me! They were going to kill him to get to me! And I was _not _going to have anymore innocent blood on my hands!" she hissed.

Her last comment pricked up my attention.

"Anymore _blood_ on your hands? What? You got a friend of yours killed?" I spat out. "Besides Jason, I mean," I heard a furious snarl, and next thing I knew Lizzie's fist had landed on my cheek. The force of the impact sent me stumbling to the ground.

"Don't you ever say that to me again," she growled, her eyes blazing with anger.

"What would you do then?" I replied, glaring.

"God! You're impossible," she raised her voice one more time.

"I left, because I loved her!" I said, matching her tone.

"No, Edward," she shook her head, "When anyone leaves that _special_ someone, it's because they no longer love said someone, everything else is just excuses," she said, lowering her voice.

"Then that means you didn't love Jason as much as you said you did,"

"I loved him, very much," she stated firmly, her eyes tightening.

"And I loved _her,_" I said, "She was everything to me!"

"You never came back for Bella!" she hissed, and I flinched at the sound of her name. "I was coming back for Jason," she whispered.

It took me a second to recover, it was the first time I'd heard someone say her name out loud.

"That doesn't change a thing does it?" I said, "They're still dead, both of them," I added my eyes hard.

"Yes," she began, "You heard yourself Edward? Bella's dead," she said, steel in her voice, and I let out a quiet growl, clenching my fists. "And you should really start paying more attention to the living,"

"Meaning?" I managed to say through my anger.

"Are you blind Edward?" she asked looking genuinely surprised, "Can't you see what you're doing to your family? You're tearing them apart! You've made your mistakes, so what? Deal with them, just don't destroy another life in the process" she shook her head.

"Why do you care?" I muttered eyeing her from the ground.

"Because believe it or not, I happen to like your family, a lot, and I don't want to see it falling apart," she replied.

I huffed in response.

"You're unbelievable,"

She glared at me one last time and she took a step to leave, stopping halfway, "You know, it is my belief that experiences, good or bad, shape you, make you who you are today," she said, "But despite having led the life I had, out of you and me, I think you're the one who's pretty messed up," she finished.

"Goodbye Edward," she said, taking off and disappearing through the thick layer of trees. I watched her go and I touched the spot were she'd hit me, wondering, what the hell had I just done.

* * *

**Thank you for reading!!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys!!**

**Let me just say...Oh my God! haha Thank you for all your reviews people they made me very happy!! :)**

**Also guys.. I've just realized I made a huge mistakee!! Lizzie said she was 42 in chapter 8.. well, she's not! that's just vampire years, she's 60! (42 +18) I'll fix it later!!**

**Here's the next chapter.. Alice is back!! :) Hope you enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!

* * *

**

I began to pace near the driveway, for I could no longer stay put, sitting on the front steps of the house. Recent events had gotten the best of me, and I had to admit, Lizzie had one hell of a right hook.

Once I was done watching my brother and Lizzie's brawl, I looked into Edward's future, just to make sure he'd get home safely. It was only after I'd eased my worry that I took the time to process the things happening around me.

I felt as if my head was going overdrive with everyone's issues and emotions flying around. I wasn't surprised Jasper was so moody these days.

_Jasper_, I thought sadly.

I sighed, shaking my head. Edward just couldn't learn to shut his big mouth. First, hurting Jasper by pointing out his guilt over Bella's death, and then going off and picking up a fight with Lizzie. Despite the fact that I liked her, I wasn't going to say she held back, because she sure didn't. But I guess she was in her rights after having Edward lash out at her like that. Besides, I was touched by what she said about my family, and maybe that was exactly what Edward needed to hear to finally change his ways.

I stopped pacing and glanced at the house, Jasper would be coming down any minute now. It was always like this. Whenever he wanted to be left alone for a while I'd give him his space, and once he was ready, he'd come looking for me. I paced some more before hearing his approach, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the silent morning.

"Hey," I said, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Hey," he replied, a smile on his face.

"Are you okay Jazz?" I asked him concerned.

"Sure, I'm fine," he answered.

"He's really sorry you know," I told him.

"Yeah, I know he is," Jasper replied, tiredly.

I frowned and stared deep into his captivating eyes, searching for any trace of pain. After a fraction of a second, I found it. I was about point it out, but he beat me to the punch.

"Love, don't worry about it," he said softly, caressing my cheek.

"How can I not?" I argued placing my hand over his.

He sighed. "Alice, I can't let it go," he said, "If I hadn't lounged for Bella, we wouldn't have left" his voice anguished, "And maybe none of this would've happened, and you'd have your best friend with you,"

I felt as if my heart was being constricted, as I heard the desperation hiding behind Jasper's voice. Because I knew that no matter what I told him, he wasn't going to listen. Still, I had to try.

"Jasper, honey, I don't think you should blame…" I trailed off when I heard someone else coming out of the trees, and felt Jasper tense up. _Must be Edward_, I thought, turning around, _but he wasn't supposed to come until later, had he changed his mind?_

"Lizzie?" I exclaimed, surprised she'd come this way after her little dispute with my pain struck sibling.

"Hey Alice, Jasper," she nodded to both of us. I noticed her anxiously glancing around, looking nervous.

"He's not here," I said, thinking she might be looking for Edward.

"What?" she asked, perplexed.

"Edward," I simply said.

"What makes you say I was looking for him?"

I lifted one eyebrow, hoping she'd catch on.

Understanding flashed across her features, "Oh, you saw that," she stated.

I nodded.

"Saw what?" Jasper asked me.

"Lizzie and Edward had a disagreement and…" I shot Lizzie a glance, unsure of what she wanted me to say.

"I sort of hit him," she continued.

"You sort of hit him?" Jasper asked slowly.

"Ok, I punched him," she confessed.

Jasper's brows shot up but I intervened before he could say anything, "He was asking for it," I defended Lizzie. And it was true, even if Lizzie had said something to hurt him, it was nothing compared to what he threw back at her.

"Alice," he started, giving me a stare, I stared back, my eyes begging him to go along with just this once. He sighed, giving in.

"Was there something you needed?" he politely asked Lizzie.

"No, no, I was just…I was running around aimlessly and ended up here," she said. "I'll just go," she added taking a step back, but then stopping altogether. She glanced at Jasper, looking torn. It seemed like she wanted to speak her mind, but something was making her hesitate. I didn't need to mull things over to know what. Jasper's hostile attitude was enough for any other vampire to keep its distance.

"Is there anything else you wanted to say?" he asked, making an effort to stay polite.

"Look, I know it's none of my business," she began, after summoning enough courage, "But I couldn't help but overhear you guys talking just now," I saw Jasper's fists clench and I gently squeezed his forearm, "I wanted to say something, if you don't mind," she eyed Jasper, waiting for his permission.

_What are you doing Elizabeth?_ I thought, as Jasper gave her a curt nod.

"Jasper," she said, "Alice told me what happened forty two years ago; the day Bella turned eighteen. Now, you're an empath," she carried on.

"What does that have to do with any of it?" Jasper interrupted.

But Lizzie continued as if he hadn't said anything, "And I've been thinking, hasn't it ever occurred to you, that maybe it wasn't only your own thirst that you felt that day, but everyone else's too?" she asked him.

I gasped in realization, _how did we not think about this sooner? _I saw Jasper's eyes widen, finally seeing things from a different perspective now that new light had been shed in the matter. His posture relaxed, and he looked like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

_Oh I loved this girl!_ I thought; an enormous grin etched on my face. _No matter what anyone said about her!_ _Finally he could stop blaming himself for everything! Finally he could be happy again!_

Lizzie noticed the changes in Jasper and smiled at my husband, "I'm pretty positive that's what happened all those years ago. I don't think any vampire's resolve is strong enough to resist the draw of human blood in that situation, not when it's feeling six other vampire's bloodlust as well as his own.

"Also, you don't strike me as someone who would attack anyone dear to your family," she said, "Even if pushed by your instincts. It was just bad luck. And from what I've gathered, if Bella were here, she probably wouldn't hold you responsible for anything. I know _I _wouldn't," she said with a carefree shrug, though her eyes were glued to Jasper's and were bright with the most sincere honesty.

"Why are you doing this?" Jasper asked her.

"I just don't think you should beat yourself up because of something that was out of your control," she answered, "That's all,"

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," she whispered back.

I turned to Jasper and hugged him tightly, he returned my hug and let out a small laugh, filled with relief.

"Well," I heard Lizzie say, "I'd better go now; I'll see you soon," she said waving goodbye.

I turned to her and debated whether or not I should tell her to stay. I was still a little shaken about our previous conversation, and I didn't know what to make of her strange behavior. I wanted to talk to her and clear things up. But one look at Jasper's radiant face, and I knew I wanted to be with him right then. Everything else could wait.

"Take care," I said, "Come by this afternoon! Bring Anna with you!" I called out to her as she faded away into the early mist.

"So…" I said, stretching the word and eying Jasper.

"So…what?" he smiled.

"Jazz,"

"Oh, all right," he said, "She's not that bad,"

"See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" I smirked.

He laughed out loud, picking me up in his arms, and kissing me tenderly, "Oh Alice, what did I ever do to deserve you?" he asked turning serious, his loving eyes gazing into my very soul.

I felt my dead heart swell with happiness, as I got lost in my husband's adoring gaze. I remembered having asked myself that same question hundreds of times, 'What had _I _done to deserve him?' I chuckled, I hadn't come up with an answer to that question yet, and I didn't know how to answer his, so instead I said: "I love you," grinning, before leaning in and kissing him deeply. He kissed me back; putting everything he had into that single kiss.

"I love you too," he whispered between kisses.

"Alice!" came another voice.

I sighed, annoyed at the interruption, and glanced in the voice's direction.

"Edward?" I said as Jasper put me down, "What is it now?"

He came to a stop in front of us, and after taking a deep breath, he addressed Jasper.

"I'm so sorry Jasper," he said, "What I said back there, it was uncalled for. I'm truly sorry," he said one more time.

"It's okay Edward, I should've known I was pushing it too hard," he said, accepting his apology, and then offering one of his own, "I'm sorry if I hurt you too,"

"So are we okay?" Edward asked.

"We're okay," said Jasper.

"Alice!" Esme's voice called out, "Come on inside! I want to talk to you!" she said. I sighed, _why couldn't I enjoy some time alone with my husband? _I thought, irritated.

I heard Edward chuckle lightly at my thoughts and I shot him a glare.

"Edward!" Sabrina exclaimed in her annoying voice, "You're home! I've been waiting for you!"

I saw Edward's smile disappear and his expression turned to one of dismay. I was laughing on the inside.

_Good luck with that_, I thought sarcastically with a mocking smile, taking Jasper's hand and leading him to the kitchen, where Esme was waiting.

"Very funny Alice," I heard Edward mutter under his breath as Sabrina came out of nowhere and tackled him.

"Hello Esme," I greeted her as we walked into the kitchen.

"Hello Alice, how was your trip?" she asked, a warm smile on her face.

"It was great," I replied, "We had a really good time," I said, purposefully not mentioning the fact that I felt as if I'd just taken Bella out shopping. She didn't need to hear that.

"I'm glad honey," she said.

"Alice," she said after a pause, "Will Lizzie and her friend be joining us tonight?"

"I think they will, yes," I said.

"That's good," she smiled, "I like her, and I'd like to get to know her friend, though," she paused, and something like worry flickered in her eyes, "Rosalie told me she wasn't a vegetarian," she said.

"We won't have to worry about that Esme, I checked up on her, and she'll be careful," I had indeed looked into her future, and she wouldn't cause any trouble with the humans, which reminded me. "In fact, I think she might even join us for a hunting trip soon enough," I added as an afterthought.

Esme appeared delighted at the news of another vampire converting to our lifestyle, but even so, she frowned at me questioningly. She wanted to know what would push Anna to become a vegetarian.

I just smiled at her and said nothing. I wasn't sure it would happen, so until then, I'd keep what I'd seen to myself for a while.

"You wanted us to go get that painting you liked right?" I asked Esme before she could, knowing that's what she was about to do. "The one Lizzie made?"

"Yes, honey," she replied, "Could you and Jasper go downtown and get it for me? I'd go myself but, your father wanted to talk; it seemed important," she said.

"Sure," Jasper said, "'It's no trouble Esme,"

"Thank you," she said to us both, "Here's the money," she said, fishing out a closed envelope from her purse on the table, and handing it to me, "Tell the old lady I said 'hi' and 'thank you'" she told me.

"Sure will mom," I said, "Let's go Jazz," I prompted him as I started to walk away. I made for the keys to my Porsche but he stopped me halfway.

"I'll drive," he smiled.

"Aw Jazz," I pouted.

"Not gonna fall for it love," he chanted, deliberately not looking at me. "Besides, the painting won't fit inside the car, we'll need the Jeep; and you hate driving the Jeep,"

I sighed defeated, he was right indeed; I hated to drive that thing.

"Okay, you won this time" I said giving him a quick kiss "Congrats," I said, before waltzing to the Jeep. He caught up fast, a huge smile on his face, and got the door for me. In the blink of an eye, he was on the other side, revving the engine to life with a roar. Jasper chuckled quietly and I rolled my eyes, as we drove away.

* * *

We parked in front of the gallery and got inside just as the nice old lady was descending the stairs on our left.

"Oh! Alice dear," she exclaimed raising her hands, "You came back. Does this mean you'll be getting that beautiful piece?" she asked, her questioning eyes were big and round behind her thick glasses.

"Yes, it does," I smiled, taking out the small envelope with the money.

"Wonderful!" she said, "I'll have someone take it down for you," she paused, "Would you like us to ship it home? Or would you rather take it with you right now?" she asked, making her way to the counter.

"We'll take it with us," Jasper answered.

"Splendid," she said, "Just wait a moment and the guys will help you load it," she said.

As if on cue, two burly humans that appeared to be in their early twenties came down, carrying the 4x2 wrapped painting. I handed Jasper the money and he gave me the keys. I motioned for the guys to follow and they nodded and did as they were told.

They both accommodated the painting and secured it to the Jeep with a few ropes and knots. I noticed them flexing their arms on purpose whenever they passed close to were I was standing. I rolled my eyes, as if I would fall for some muscles when I had my Jasper.

"I think that'll do boys," I heard my husband say, as he came to a stop by my side, put his arm around my waist and kissed me in front of the two humans. They lifted their eyebrows and climbed down.

"Run along, Peter, Bobby," the old lady said, clapping her hands.

"Yeah," they both grumbled, hurrying inside.

"Thank you, for everything," I said, shaking the woman's hand. "My mother sends her best, she wished she could've come, but she was…busy," I added.

"Oh no, thank _you_ my dear," she said, "Tell your mom I said hi,"

"I will," I promised.

With that she bid us goodbye and returned to the gallery.

"We better head back," Jasper said.

"Yeah, we…wait," I said, squinting my eyes. I caught a glimpse of red and noticed Anna racing down the street, coming after Lizzie, "Look," I told Jasper.

"Mmm, you think it'd be wise to follow them?" he asked, as they met up and started towards a more crowded area.

"Maybe…" I trailed off, my feet moving on their own, picking up the pace as the two of them threatened to disappear. I heard Jasper following close behind me. We were careful enough to avoid bumping into the humans and we kept our distance from the girls.

I knew what we were doing was wrong. An invasion of privacy. But I couldn't let this opportunity slip away. If they thought they were alone, they'd talk freely, and maybe I'd learn something more about Lizzie, something she wasn't so intent on sharing with us, despite the fact that she'd recently admitted to liking us.

They slowed down as they neared the busiest zone at noon in this town. They were arguing.

"Lizzie! Wait, I'm sorry!" Anna exclaimed.

"Sorry? You're _sorry_?" Lizzie countered, turning around abruptly. "Anna, you don't know the meaning of that word!"

"What? Of course I do!"

"No," Lizzie replied stretching the word, "You don't!" she said, "Ever since I've known you, you've never once asked for forgiveness, Anna, and that's okay, you know, actually it was one of the things that made me want to be your friend in the first place," she said, "You were always confident and sure about everything you did, that's why you never sought forgiveness from anyone, because you knew you had done the right thing. I always admired that trait of yours. Back when it didn't involve any of my friends!"

"Lizzie, please," Anna said, "I didn't want you to find out this way, and I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did," she said, gesturing helplessly with her hands, her face showing true remorse.

_What happened?_

"Anna. Human and vampire relationships don't work," she stated to low for human ears, her voice dead cold.

"It doesn't have to be that way. Even so, who said I wanted a relationship?"

"Anna, I may be a lot of things, but I'm no fool. I saw you on that coffee shop, both of you, the looks you gave each other… I know that look Anna, I've been there… twice," she sighed, "I just don't want you to get hurt, neither of you and I promised myself I wouldn't let anything happen to Bryan for as long as I lived,"

I frowned, _twice? _Well, she did say she'd been heartbroken, that means she'd been in love before.

"I won't hurt him," Anna said, steel in her voice, her eyes bright with determination.

"I hope you don't," Lizzie said softly, though her eyes were hard, a silent warning for her friend.

"He misses you," Anna whispered.

"Me too," she said, closing her eyes for a moment.

"You should talk to him,"

"No," she shook her head.

"Why ever not?" Anna asked, "Elizabeth you–"

"I'm no good for him," she opened her eyes.

"Lizzie, if this is about what happened with Jason and in La–"

"Anna!" Lizzie cut her off, letting out a quiet growl.

"All right! All right! I won't say it! I'm just telling you, you can't blame what happened on yourself!" she said, raising her voice, and taking Lizzie by the shoulders.

"That place was burned to the ground because of _me_," said Lizzie, her voice deadly.

"It wasn't your fault, you did everything you could,"

"It was me they wanted Anna, they had no business with them," Lizzie replied calmly.

Anna suddenly let go of her, and sighed, looking tired. "Someday," she said, "I'm going to make you forgive yourself,"

Poor Lizzie, I was right, there _was_ something she wasn't telling us, and it wasn't pretty.

"You wanted to talk to me about something," Lizzie said, changing the topic.

Anna shook her head but followed Lizzie's lead anyways, "Aro's put a price on your head," she stated.

"What?"

_What?_

"What can I say? I guess if he can't have you, he wants to make sure no one else does," she shrugged.

Lizzie just shook her head disbelievingly, muttering "After all these years…why?"

Anna eyed her worryingly, "Because he's got a lead,"

Her comment made Lizzie's eyes shot in her direction.

"He wants you alive though, I've heard it's you or–"

But I never heard what Anna wanted to say, because at that moment the sound of loud screeching tires exploded in my ears and I winced, turning to the source. In just fractions of a second, I saw and heard how a small black car collided with a truck on the intersection, and became crushed by the impact. I watched helplessly as the man driving the car flew out the windshield and rolled on the pavement. Everything stopped for a second before more crashes followed, and honks blared.

I stood there, agape and motionless when I heard a low snarl. It shook me out of my state, and for a moment I feared Jasper's control could be wavering. But it wasn't Jasper. It took me a second to notice the smell of blood in the air, and another one to see Lizzie firmly grasping Anna's free hand –for the other was covering her mouth and nose– and pulling her away from the site. I caught a glimpse at Anna's tortured expression as she let herself be dragged away by her friend and I felt myself pitying her, I hoped she'd be okay.

"Alice," came Jasper's restrained voice, "Let's get out of here,"

I agreed in a heartbeat and we retraced our footsteps back to the gallery, were the Jeep was waiting. We got inside and sat there, taking a while to recover.

"That was close," I said.

"Much too close," replied Jasper.

"Maybe we shouldn't have gone eavesdropping," I told him, turning to look at him.

"Maybe, but it was worth it, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Worth it?" I asked in turn, waiting for him to elaborate further.

"Yes, now we know I _was_ right," he started, "She can bring harm to this family by her being here," he said.

I should've seen this coming. _Hadn't he just said she wasn't that bad?_

"Jasper–"

"No, Alice. Didn't you hear what Anna said back there? Aro's looking for her, who's to say he won't hurt us when he finds her?" Jasper said.

"Jasper, I'm not going to leave her to fend for herself!" I exclaimed.

"We have to confront her about this,"

"And say what? Jasper?" I argued, " 'Hey Liz! We were eavesdropping on you the other day, why don't you tell us a bit more about the fact that Aro's searching for you?' " I said sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"If you won't tell her, I will," he said.

I sighed, "_I'll_ tell her," Jasper's posture immediately relaxed, "When I think it's the right time," I finished. He was unhappy at my words but said nothing. I looked into the near future and saw he'd respect my wishes as long as I didn't take too long.

"Thank you," I said. He just nodded and with quick movements started the Jeep and left the parking lot.

* * *

The first thing I noticed once we were home, was Lizzie's car, parked on the driveway, next I saw her and Edward talking just a few feet away. The wind carried their voices to me and I could distinguish a heartfelt apology, from Edward. Lizzie also apologized and they both smiled. Good, they'd worked out their issues.

Jasper called out Emmett and he was there within a couple of seconds, helping him to untie the knots holding the painting in place. Edward and Lizzie saw us and approached us and Esme was soon out of the house, making her way towards our small group.

"This way, I have the perfect spot," she said, going back inside.

Emmett carefully lifted the painting and followed Esme, the rest of us close behind.

"Here," said Esme, pointing to the blank wall behind the couch in the living room.

Emmett nodded and tore the wrapping paper to reveal the painting underneath. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lizzie's eyes widen. My brother hung it up and then stepped back to appreciate the view.

Elizabeth took a step forward and stared at the painting she'd made. I could only guess what was going through her mind right then.

"That's a very nice piece you made there," Esme told her.

"You made it?" asked Edward.

Lizzie just nodded her head.

Just then the front door opened. Everyone took his or her eyes off the painting to stare at the newcomer, and Rosalie, Sabrina and Carlisle came downstairs to see what was going on.

"Liz," Anna said breathing heavily, "Your apartment just went up in flames,"

* * *

**Kind of a cliffie! :)**

**Thank you for reading guys!! Tell me what you think! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone!**

**I have to say I'm really happy with all the reviews I received, thank you guys!**

**Also I'm very excited to tell you you'll finally find the answer to the most FAQ! Is Lizzie Bella? :) You'll have to read to find out for sure!**

**Another thing guys, I probably won't be able to update until late July! I know, it's sad :( I'm going away for a month, and I won't be able to write down anything at all, so this was one of the reasons I gave you a pretty long chapter, the other one is because I just love you guys! **

**Anyways I'll try to give you one last update before I go! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!

* * *

**

"What?" a bewildered Lizzie asked, her eyes wide.

"Your apartment, it just went up in flames," Anna repeated.

_Her apartment caught fire?_ I thought, frowning. _Just when we've discovered Aro's looking for her? What are the odds?_

Jasper eyed me warily and I saw Edward's eyes shot in our direction –he was also frowning– so I replayed the last fragment of Lizzie and Anna's conversation in my mind.

"I can't believe this," Lizzie muttered angrily, as she ran her hands through her hair, and shook her head. We watched silently as she began to make her way to the front door of the house. She stopped halfway though, and stared at the floor, like she was thinking hard on something, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, until Anna took a step forward.

"This were the only things I could salvage," she said quietly, handing over a small sac to Lizzie, who peered inside and thanked her friend with small weak smile, and a low but grateful 'thank you'.

Anna glanced at us briefly, her eyes settling on Sabrina for a moment before turning to Lizzie again. "You know what this means, don't you?" she asked her.

"I'm screwed," she laughed humorlessly.

"Lizzie,"

"You know what to do Anna," she replied regaining her composure, her voice and face serious.

"What's going on here?" Sabrina asked.

"You stay out of it!" Lizzie snapped, making Sabrina cower behind Edward.

"Anna, you have to–"

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" exclaimed Edward, narrowing his eyes.

"Please Edward," Lizzie begged, pressing her temples, "Not now. Anna?" she turned to her.

"I'm not going to leave you here," Anna said, looking at Lizzie straight in the eye.

"No, nobody's leaving this house, until _you_" he pointed at Lizzie, "Tell us what's going on," said Jasper angrily.

"Anna," Lizzie said without breaking their eye contact, and ignoring my husband's demands.

"What about…" she trailed, her eyes flashing towards Sabrina so fast, I think I was the only one to notice.

"I'll figure something out,"

"I–"

"Anna!" Lizzie pressed on.

She looked like a woman with a purpose, whereas Anna seemed to be struggling with what appeared to be a very difficult decision. A few seconds passed and she said, "You better not get yourself killed," to which Lizzie just smiled sadly.

At that moment I decided I'd had enough. I wasn't staying in the dark any longer, so I looked into the future, and what I saw, sent me staggering backwards, gasping for air.

"Alice!" my family exclaimed as they rushed to my side.

"What did you see?" Rosalie asked me, her fearful eyes watching me intently. She wanted me to look at her, but my eyes were glued to Elizabeth, who hadn't moved an inch from her place by the door.

"You _knew_ this would happen?" I asked her, my voice trembling.

"What would happen, Alice?" Jasper demanded, his voice full of worry.

I wanted to tell them, but I kept my mouth shut, waiting for Lizzie to answer my question. She didn't though, and she averted her eyes from my piercing gaze.

Images of what I'd seen flowed back into my mind. Fire. Vampires. Jasper and Esme lying on the ground…dead. I started shivering and Jasper wrapped his arms around me tight, sending out waves of calm. I held on to him tightly. I wouldn't let my vision come true.

"We'll be under attack soon," Edward said when he saw I was in no condition to retell my vision. "Kurt's coven," he said simply.

Carlisle shared a look with Esme, and a round of surprised gasps filled the room. Lizzie chose that moment to usher Anna out of the room.

"I meant what I said, Elizabeth," she said, her voice stern, "Don't you get yourself killed,"

"Tell Bryan I'm sorry, will you?" Lizzie asked her, "For everything,"

"You can tell him that yourself," Anna replied. She gave her a quick, fierce hug and whispered, "Take care my friend," then she was out of the house before Emmett could get close enough to stop her. He was about to give chase when Carlisle's voice stopped him.

"Emmett!" he had exclaimed, "Let her go,"

Emmett grunted, and came back inside, shutting the door behind him. But, instead of taking his place next to Rosalie, he headed for Lizzie. He grabbed her by the arm and she made no move to stop him, her sac dropping by her feet.

"What do we do with her?" he asked.

Jasper then left my side, and began to walk towards my sibling and the vampire I once thought could be my friend. _Had she really been just pretending the whole time? Playing the innocent girl stricken by tragedy? Had she really betrayed us?_

"You're with them, aren't you?" I asked her softly.

"No," she whispered, her eyes were full of sorrow as they bore into mine. This was what I couldn't understand. You can't fake your emotions, no matter how good an actor you are. But Jasper was too angry now to really pay attention. I'd have to figure this one out on my own. So I decided to throw in a little lie.

"Then why did I see you standing by Kurt's side?" I told her. It hurt to even think about it.

"I was?" she asked, confusion crossing her features; then she stared hard at the floor before something flashed in her eyes.

"Quit pretending!" Jasper started, "You were with them this whole time!" he growled, his face inches away from hers. She turned her head sideways, but this time, she didn't deny anything.

Her silence made me frown and I searched the future again. I was dismayed at what I saw. There she was, standing on Kurt's right side. Facing us. Her eyes cold.

"I can't believe that we believed you," Edward said taking a step forwards, "That _I_ believed you," he said, disappointment clear in his voice. "We trusted you," he said accusingly, "And you turned out to be a backstabbing–"

"A backstabbing what? Edward?" she interjected angrily, her voice rising above his, "You want to talk about backstabbing? You're such a hypocrite," she hissed. "I am by no means, a backstabber and you have no idea of what you're talking about! But all right, just watch out for yourself," she said coldly, "Because the real backstabber in here is right behind you!"

_What?_

Everyone turned his or her eyes to Sabrina, who was standing alone and openmouthed.

"Eddie," she whimpered, "Don't listen to her, she's just trying to come between us! She's jealous!" she exclaimed, giving Edward a hug from behind, who said nothing but took a step back.

"Oh please!" Lizzie said making a face, apparently disgusted at the mere suggestion.

"So what was your plan?" Jasper rounded on, "You got word that Aro was searching for you, and decided you'd trade our lives for your freedom?" he snarled, furious.

"What– No!" she said, "I'd never–wait, what makes you say he was looking for me?" she asked puzzled.

"Oh don't play fool with me you liar!" Jasper hissed narrowing his eyes, "We heard you talking with An–"

"You were spying on me?" she asked incredulous, interrupting Jasper in middle speech.

"Spying? I should've done a lot more than spying! I should've killed–"

"Jasper!" Carlisle stepped in as he made his way to my husband. "Calm down," he said, unquestionable authority ringing in his voice. "I'll handle this,"

"Now," he said turning to Elizabeth, "What is going on here?" he asked quietly, though there was an edge to his voice. He was scared, scared for us.

"Look, Carlisle," Lizzie began, "I respect you, I do, but I'm going to be honest with you. You don't have the time to pull out a Sherlock Holmes here. We can either play 'Twenty Questions' or you could prepare for what's coming," she said, her face an expressionless mask.

Carlisle stayed quiet for a second before addressing me. "Alice," he said, "How long do we have?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and our foyer blurred out of my sight to be replaced with our driveway and the edge of the forest. It was raining, and the vampires were there, seven pale figures, slowly approaching our house. I glanced upwards and there was the slightest tinge of violet in the sky, along with some black clouds.

"Nightfall," I said, "They'll be here by nightfall,"

"All right," Carlisle said, "We'll be ready, and when they come, we'll fight," he stated firmly.

* * *

Everyone else was patrolling the perimeter, while I sat on the front steps of the house; right in front of the column where we'd chained Lizzie up –thank God Jasper had insisted on keeping that medieval statue– silently staring at her.

"You know, it's not nice to stare," she muttered.

"Why did you do it?" I asked her. I had chosen be the one to stay and watch her because I wanted to talk to her. Despite everything that was happening, there were many things that didn't make sense at all, and I still found her betrayal hard to believe. I wanted to know why.

"I've done many things during my existence, Alice, you should be more specific," she said.

"You know what I'm talking about," I said, "Why did you betray us?"

She sighed, "I'm afraid that's a question I cannot answer,"

"Then tell me this, was everything you said a lie?" I asked quietly, fearing her response. She took a moment before answering this one.

"No," she whispered, watching the sunset, "Not everything was true, but not everything was a lie either," she said, looking at me.

"What were you lying about?"

She looked at me one more time before closing her eyes and resting her head against the column. The meaning was clear: I wasn't getting an answer.

I sighed. I was so confused. She had loved Jason, of that I was sure, Bryan was also a solid proof that she'd been telling the truth about that. Also, the way she'd talked about him to Anna, concern evident in her voice. What she had told Jasper this morning. I shook my head slowly. She was a good person. She had to be. But…this? This I didn't understand.

Lizzie's voice shook me out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry Alice," she said. And once again, I could perceive something hiding deep within her apology. Which led me to ask her another question.

"What are you sorry about? Yesterday, you apologized over and over…why?" I stared at her.

She let out a short breath. "You keep asking me things I cannot answer," she said.

"Then tell me something that's real," I said, "Unless you can't do that either," I muttered bitterly.

She took so long to answer, that I thought she never would.

"I like you Alice," she said quietly.

"What?" I asked with a jolt. I hadn't expected something like that.

"You're just the kind of sister I would've loved to have,"' she whispered, her eyes sad as she met mine.

Her words left me openmouthed and I carefully pondered what I should say next. But just when the words began to form on my lips, my family came back and formed a line facing the forest edge. I stood up, and turned my back on Lizzie.

Thunder could be heard overhead, and the first droplets of water came down.

"It's time," I said gravely.

And then, right on cue, seven vampires stepped out of the forest, black coats flapping with the sudden gust of wind. They stopped a few feet away from us in a 'V' formation, in perfect synchrony. Even though their faces were covered, I knew the one up front was Kurt. He raised his head, lowered his hood and took a step forward, the rest of his coven staying in place.

"Well, well, well," he started, a cruel smile on his face, "Look at what we've got here," he eyed us quickly, his gaze lingering on Edward and me, before he spotted the chained Lizzie.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "Darling! There you are!" he laughed.

She turned her head sideways, glancing around, and looking puzzled, "Who? Me?"

"Haven't changed a bit, have you?" he said, shaking his head, "Come on! Is that all you have to say?"

"Long time no see?" she asked, her voice devoid of any enthusiasm.

"Too long, I must say," he smiled, his crimson eyes bright with greed.

"I can't read their minds," Edward whispered to me.

_Is it Elizabeth? _I asked.

"Well of course you can't boy!" Kurt said, "That'd be Williams doing," he added, pointing one of the other vampires, "One of the advantages of having shields on your side of the battlefield. No mind tricks. But you don't seem to be that unprotected either, you should be experiencing quite the headache by now," he glanced at Lizzie.

_Was Lizzie using her shield on us? Why?_

"Wouldn't have been fair otherwise," she told him.

_Well, there goes my answer._

Kurt laughed out loud, a sinister sound. "Always the righteous one huh?" he said, turning quiet.

Carlisle took the opportunity to speak then.

He started forward and addressed Kurt, who turned his gaze to Carlisle to indicate he was listening, "My name's Carlisle Cu–"

"Oh I know who you are," he interrupted, "There's no need for introductions," he said.

"Likewise," said Carlisle, "I know who you are, but what I don't know is what business do you have with my family," he said, locking his jaw and clenching his hands into tight fists.

Thunder echoed through the night, and lightning gave everyone's faces a blue glow. The rain was falling harder now.

"No, doctor," Kurt chuckled as he paced in front of the line my family had formed, "You see, my problem is not with your family, per se; though I'm sure my boys will enjoy messing around with your kids. No, what I need is a little chat with my old friend over there," he said pointing at Lizzie, and raising his brows, as if waiting for her to say something.

"You know Kurt," she started, "I'd love to take you up on that offer but, I'm a little tied up at the moment," she said shaking her chains.

"Well that can be fixed," he said, and suddenly, without warning, he flung his right hand onwards and fire erupted from his palm. The flame advanced and rushed past us, only to strike the chains that held Lizzie captive. She shook herself free and the chains fell to the floor with a clank.

We all stood there, dumbfounded at what we'd just bore witness. _Had he just created fire with his bare hands? _

"Boys!" Kurt called out, never once taking his eyes of Elizabeth, "Have some fun while I'm gone," he said. He gestured for Lizzie to follow him with a slight movement of his head and ran into the forest.

The six vampires began to advance and I spared Lizzie a glance. She was staring at my family, her expression unfathomable. Just then she turned to look at me, as if she had felt my eyes on her. I didn't know what I should do. Should I stop her? Should I attack her? Indecision crept through me, but I didn't get a chance to choose, because right then Lizzie tore her eyes away from me and shot in the direction Kurt had disappeared.

I heard a deep snarl and the sound of boulders crashing together, and I knew the battle had begun.

I saw the cloaked vampire jump at me before he actually did, but I barely had the time to move out of the way. He growled as he crashed into the stairs, leaving a pile of concrete beneath his feet once he was up again. I saw every one of his attacks before they came, every punch, every kick, every bite. And each time I evaded them. Out of the corner of my eye I assessed the situation we were in.

Jasper was handling two vampires on his own, but was doing a good job. He looked at me for the briefest of moments and I knew he wanted to be by my side, but knew I could stand my ground. Near the line of the forest were Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett, taking on the vampire that looked the most dangerous. He was huge, and burly, to say the least, and had a fierce scowl on his face.

Closer to where I was standing were Esme and Rosalie, battling with the quickest vampire I'd seen in my entire life. Including Edward. Next to them was Sabrina, looking like she was having a hard time with her opponent.

I anticipated my vampire's next move and my fist collided with his face, making him stumble backwards and through one of the house's windows. I winced when I heard the loud crash. Esme was going to kill me for that.

I was on my way to help Jasper when I heard a loud piercing scream coming from deep within the forest, and I felt searing pain driving through my skull. It brought me down on my knees. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth; I couldn't focus on anything. An instant later though, the pain had vanished.

_What on earth had just happened? _I thought breathlessly.

Jasper's yelp of pain caught my attention and I turned towards the sound, panic surging through me. To say he was on a tight spot would've been a huge understatement. He was pinned to the ground by two vampires, and the one that had been trashing with Sabrina was looming over him. He bared his teeth dangerously close to my husband's throat. The vision of his death flashed before my eyes and I felt as if my dead heart was racing inside of my chest.

"JASPER!" I screamed with all my might.

"STOP!" came the thunderous voice of Kurt. He was back, and so was Lizzie. "We're leaving!"

Every member of Kurt's coven immediately stood straight and went to stand behind him. I rushed to Jasper's side and threw myself into his open arms. He gently kissed my forehead before pulling us up, his arms around me. My family quickly gathered around us and I was relieved to see everyone was all right.

"Thank you, Carlisle," Kurt said taking a bow, "For tonight's entertainment," he flashed a smile, "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I'm afraid our business here is done…for now," he said, "You should say your goodbyes" he told Lizzie.

_Goodbyes? She was leaving then?_ _No! I still had many questions! _

"I have nothing to say to them," Lizzie replied coldly, her expression betraying no emotions.

"Okay," Kurt shrugged, "Let's go then," he said taking off, his coven following, "See you around Cullens!" he called out.

We watched them go and I turned to Lizzie, who was still standing there unmoving. I was about to say something but her left side caught my eye. There was a vivid red mark on her arm, and the fabric of her coat was torn, and appeared burnt up. She looked like she might say something after all, but decided against it. So she turned her back on us without a word and walked away, before breaking into a run, going after Kurt.

She left. Just like that. I couldn't believe it. I felt…empty somehow, like something was missing. Was this how Bella had felt when we left?

"Is everyone okay?" asked Carlisle.

Everyone murmured their yes.

"Come on love," said Jasper, leading me inside of the house.

"Are you okay Jazz?" I asked him, worried, "You scared me for a moment back there, I thought I was going to lose you," I told him, my previous vision present in my mind.

"You'll never lose me. I'm fine Alice," he smiled, "I've been through worse, you know it. Besides this is over now, we should be okay,"

I felt myself nod in agreement, but couldn't help but wonder, _was it really over?_ Kurt had implied he'd be back. Carlisle seemed to be on my same line of thought because he asked me to look into our future.

Just another ordinary day.

"It's okay," I reassured them, "No one's planning on attacking us. At least for now,"

"Good," Carlisle said, letting the breath he had been holding.

My mind went back to Lizzie's sudden change in attitude. Just moments before the fight begun, she'd told me she would've liked being my sister. And she seemed serious. I sighed. I would've liked that too. But I guess having a friend that resembled Bella in any way, was too much to ask for after what we did all those years ago. This was our punishment. I shook my head. It wouldn't do well to think about Bella right now, I didn't want to feel hurt anymore.

I looked at my family, and they were all pretty shaken up. Rosalie met my gaze and I could see the hurt in her eyes. She had liked Lizzie too.

"Where's Sabrina?" Edward spoke up.

"Huh?" I hadn't even noticed she was gone. Guessed that just showed my indifference when it came to her.

"I'll go look for her," Edward said, something like panic creeping in his voice.

"They didn't take her man," Emmett said, "I think she muttered something about staying outside, she's must be somewhere close,"

"Yeah, I'll be right back," Edward said, going through the door.

I watched him go and my eyes caught something that looked out of place in the foyer: Lizzie's sac. _She left it_, I thought frowning. I knew it wasn't any of my business, and that I shouldn't be snooping around. But Lizzie's departure had left many unanswered questions, and maybe whatever was inside that sac, could help answer them. So I grabbed it and started to make my way upstairs.

"Alice?" Jasper called me.

"No, Jazz, please," I said, "I want to do this alone,"

"All right," he said.

Once I'd reached our room, I sat down on the bed. I felt so nervous. What was I going to find? I took a deep breath, and dropped the contents of the sac in front of me. There were a few letters and trinkets, as well as a silver necklace, with a small wolf dangling on it. I took it in my hands and examined it closely. It looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I'd seen it. I put it aside and instead took what looked to be a black leather photo album. I ran my fingers through the cover and felt the imperfections of the surface. It was old. I wondered; what kind of memories would it hold? Precious ones I guessed, since Lizzie had been pretty grateful to Anna for saving this.

I took another breath, suppressed that side of me that screamed for me to stop this invasion of privacy, and opened it.

What I saw inside took my breath away. There, staring back at me was a face I thought I'd never see again.

Bella.

What was Lizzie doing with pictures of Bella? And not just some pictures, the whole album was full of Bella, her parents, birthdays, friends, parties, everything.

"What's going on here?" I wondered aloud. _Could it be…?_

Just then my surroundings became a blur and I was standing in a white room with two people.

_A dark haired vampire slapped Lizzie across the face and snarled: "Quit playing games with me!" _

_She took the slap and held her head up high, her expression fierce, before replying that she wasn't going to tell him anything. _

"_I'm loosing my patience darling", he said through clenched teeth._

_She shrugged, "Tough luck" she said with hard eyes._

I shook my head, gasped for breath and was in the white room again.

"_Look, Bella" he said pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to ask you one, last, time, how did he do it?"_

"_And I'm going to say this one last time, I'm not telling you a damn thing Kurt!" Lizzie replied glaring at him._

"_Then you'll get me the Cullens," he said._

_"__You wish," she muttered._

"_So you'd rather die for them?" he asked incredulous, raising his brows._

"_As far as they're concerned," she murmured looking at him straight on, "I'm already dead" _

I stared wide-eyed at Bella's pictures. Horrified. What was that? What did these visions mean? Lizzie and Bella? My eyes went back to the small wolf on the necklace. Now I remembered where I'd seen it! Bella's house. 42 years ago. Except at that time it had been a bracelet instead of a necklace.

My mind couldn't wrap around the idea. Bella was alive? But that wasn't possible, my best friend died years ago! I saw her grave! She can't be alive!

_But her body had never been found_, a voice in the back of my head whispered.

_Oh my God._

It was true, besides Jazz had said Lizzie's emotions had been all over the place when she first met us; that never made any sense.

"_I don't know," Jasper began. "I mean…there's nothing wrong with her, it's just, her emotions were very strong and jumped from one another too quickly…it was very confusing."_

Neither had the way she hesitated before going inside our house, for the first time.

"_You've nothing to worry about, if we wanted to hurt you, we would've done so long ago," I said, trying to ease her worries. _

_As soon as the words left my mouth she froze, and I quickly wondered if that had been the right thing to say. I became worried myself but was surprised when she chuckled lightly. As if remembering some private joke. _

_She turned to me, "I don't doubt that Alice," something blazed deep within her eyes, and it scared me. I tried to identify the emotions swimming in her topaz orbs, but they were gone in a flash, replaced by an impassive stare._

I understood her reaction now. The irony. She had laughed, because we had hurt her. A long time ago.

Another thing that I noticed: the way she'd react whenever Edward mentioned Bella.

"_You left her, am I right?"_

"_Oh come on, you can say it out loud, she was just a distraction, you got bored, tired of trying to be something you weren't and it was hard to keep a relationship with a human, believe me, I should know," she said, a dark look crossing her face._

The resemblance in Bella and Lizzie's personalities.

"_Oh Lizzie! Don't be so mean!" Anna laughed, "I just never thought I'd see the day you actually wanted to go shopping you know," _

What Lizzie told Anna as they argued in town.

"_Anna. Human and vampire relationships don't work," she stated to low for human ears, her voice dead cold._

"… _I know that look Anna, I've been there… twice," she sighed._

She had been talking about Edward! And what she told Jasper. She really wanted to help him, even if she couldn't say it as Bella.

_But Lizzie continued as if he hadn't said anything, "And I've been thinking, hasn't it ever occurred to you, that maybe it wasn't only your own thirst that you felt that day, but everyone else's too?" she asked him._

"_And from what I've gathered, if Bella were here, she probably wouldn't hold you responsible for anything. I know I wouldn't," she said with a carefree shrug, though her eyes were glued to Jasper's and were bright with the most sincere honesty. _

And finally, her reaction to Bella's story.

"_You said you weren't there for her when she needed you," Lizzie said in a low voice, and it surprised me to hear the tiniest hint of accusation in her sentence, "Why weren't you?"_

"_I'm sorry Alice," she whispered, "I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed, increasing her grip, "I…I wish I could…I really wish I could tell you…I"_

So there really had been another deeper meaning to her apology. She was sorry for what she had been doing! For lying to us!

_Oh my God!_

The clues had been there! How could we have been so _blind_? She had been right under our noses! And how did she manage to look so different from the way I remembered her?

But more important: Why the HELL hadn't she said anything!

What had been real and what hadn't? Had she really worked for the Volturri? How did her transformation go? How did she really meet Kurt?

So many questions, and no answers.

I felt my stomach churn at the last words she'd spoken to me.

_"I like you Alice," she said quietly._

_"You're just the kind of sister I would've loved to have,"' she whispered, her eyes sad as she met mine._

I had to get to her. I had to see her, and tell her I knew the truth. Tell her I wanted her to be my sister too.

But why had she gone? I shook my head and memories from the battle came to me. Kurt, pain and Lizzie.

_I was on my way to help Jasper when I heard a loud piercing scream coming from deep within the forest, and I felt searing pain driving through my skull._

_"But you don't seem to be that unprotected either, you should be experiencing quite the headache by now," he glanced at Lizzie._

_There was a vivid red mark on her arm, and the fabric of her coat was torn, and appeared burnt up._

Suddenly I had an idea of what she'd done. And Kurt had hurt her and broken her concentration, making her shield come down, thus our sudden headache.

I stood up, panicked, and heard the front door open with a loud bang. I ran down the stairs and found Anna on the floor, dripping wet and clutching her sides in agony. The rest of the family minus Edward and Sabrina was already there.

"Anna?" I asked, my voice shaking as I approached her slowly.

She gasped for breath twice and made an effort to lift her head up and look at me with desperate eyes. We stared at each other for a second, and somehow, she knew I knew the truth. I'm not sure what gave me away, but surely it must have been the expression of pure horror written all over my face.

"Help me save her", she pleaded weakly.

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**Cliffhanger... Please don't kill me!**

**Don't forget to tell me your thoughts people! You liked it?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Wow... O.O**

**Guys, thank you for all of your reviews, really, I never expected to have so many at once! I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter, that was really the one I'd been dying to write, it was actually thanks to that last scene (preface) that this whole story came to be. To everyone who reviewed: thanks a ton! I'll reply to all of your reviews once I'm back, and to those who don't have an account, I'll post your replies at the end of next chapter!**

**Also PLEASE READ THIS, it's IMPORTANT.**

**Due to the fact that I've been very busy, this mini chapter, was all I could write for you guys. It's more like a rough draft and just a preview. I know it's way too short, but it was all I could do not to leave you just hanging in there. I'll post the real chapter once I'm back home!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!

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_Help me save her. _

Anna's words echoed inside of my head, while I just stared at her, my eyes unfocused. I knew she needed my full attention right then, but all I could see was Bella's smiling face, and I couldn't help but wonder…_will I ever see her again?_

"Alice?" Anna whispered.

My hands were shaking, and I could hear her faint voice, but I couldn't bring myself to answer. My mind kept replaying the moment Bella walked away from us, over and over. _How could I let her slip through my fingers?_

"Alice?" Jasper said.

_So stupid._

"Alice," Anna called me again, her voice stronger. But once again I didn't acknowledge her. I was so far gone, I barely noticed Carlisle going to Anna's aid.

"She's gonna die Alice!" her anguished cry finally brought me back to my senses and I looked at her, really looked at her.

"What can I do?" I asked quickly, desperate for some kind of hope.

"You have to come with me," she said just as quick, struggling to get up, while Carlisle told her to take it easy. He was examining her wounds and he didn't seem to like what he was seeing.

"She's not going anywhere with you!" Jasper exclaimed from somewhere behind me.

"Jasper!" I said, locking eyes with him as Carlisle and I helped Anna back on her feet.

"You have to come with me, if you want to save her," she said weakly.

"Save who?" Emmett said.

"Isn't it obvious Emmett? It's Elizabeth," Rosalie's voice rang out from the back, "But why would _she_ need any saving?" a touch of bitterness in her voice.

I faced my sister and decided it was time to tell everyone the truth.

"Because she's–" my words stopped when I felt Anna grip my arm tightly. I turned to look at her questioningly. Her eyes met mine, and once I caught a glimpse of her terrified expression, I suddenly understood why she'd stopped me. The message was clear: _Don't tell them._

I opened my mouth to ask 'why?' but she only shook her head, "I promised," she whispered. "But you have to come with me. I can't do it alone," she said, wincing a little when she breathed out.

"You can't go anywhere in that state," Carlisle told Anna, "I won't let you,"

"You're not going to stop me," she wheezed, "I'll fight you if I have to," she said, her eyes hard. I stood there, staring at her in awe. Admiring her determination. She really cared for Bella.

"If you don't rest, you'll only worsen your injuries," Carlisle said sternly, "How did you even get those?" he asked pointing at her ribcage.

"That doesn't matter right now,"

But she was stubborn too, Carlisle was right; she was in no condition to go anywhere. She had a bad burn on the left side of her face, and judging by the way she was clutching her sides, I guessed she was hiding some other wounds, besides the scratches and bite marks we could see. I decided to try and convince her to tell me what she knew. That way she could stay and we could rescue Bella.

"Anna," I started.

"No Alice!" she said, "You don't understand! He's been waiting for this opportunity for _decades_! You have no idea what Kurt's going to do with her!" she exclaimed, anger blazing in her eyes.

"Whatever he's going to do with her, is none of our business," Rosalie said, "She brought it on herself,"

"Yeah, only because of _you_!" Anna hissed.

_Oh my God, did that mean what I thought it meant?_

"What?" Rosalie asked, confused.

_Had Bella agreed to go with Kurt, for our sake?_

"You heard me," Anna said through clenched teeth.

"Hey! Careful…" Jasper warned her, glaring at her.

"No, _you_ be careful Jasper," she said, returning his glare, "I'm not like Liz. I'm not as quick to forgive, as she is"

"What are you _talking_ about?" he asked, "What do you have to forgive, we've done nothing to you!" he said.

"It's not what you've done to me that's the problem!" she yelled.

I gasped in realization. She was talking about Bella. She knew her story, and the part we had played in her death. That's why she had glared at Edward when we first met her!

"Alice," Carlisle said, taking a step forward, "Do you know something, that we don't?"

_She couldn't forgive us for what we'd done. Not the way Bella had._

"I…" I trailed off as Anna's grip on my arm intensified. "…I can't tell you," I whispered, shaking my head.

"Alice, love…" Jasper began, as he approached me, his hand reaching out. I looked at him, torn.

"You coming?" said Anna.

My eyes darted from Jasper to Anna, "I…" I felt like I had already made my choice, but…_what about my family?_

I felt Anna let go of me, and I saw her jerk herself away from Carlisle, and say, "I think I'll take my leave now, I'm sorry for bothering you," she said coldly, "You know Alice, I expected more of you," she added, looking at me straight in the eye.

"Anna, wait," Esme said, "Let us help you," she said, surprising everyone in the room, including Anna herself.

"Thank you Esme," she said quietly after recovering, "But I only came here to seek Alice's aid, and I've already wasted too much time," she said starting to walk away.

_No!_

"Wait!" I called out, making my decision and causing her stop on her tracks, "I'll go with you," I stated firmly.

"Then I'll go too," came Jasper's unexpected offering.

"What?" I gasped.

"No you won't," Anna said, "Only Alice can come,"

"Why?" asked Emmett, "I want to kick some butt too,"

"I can't take you all," she said, "That's just exactly what he wants,"

"Then why are you taking Alice?" Jasper asked.

"Because she's the only one I can't do this without," she said softly.

Jasper turned his gaze on me, "Alice," he said. The way he said my name, it was as if he was afraid it would be the last time he'll ever see me. Like I would be lost forever once I walked out the door. I hated to cause him any grief, but I couldn't leave Bella to die. Not again. Because this time, I _could _do something.

"No Jazz," I said brokenly, "I have to go,"

"Why?" he said, "Why risk your life for that girl, that traitor?"

I closed my eyes for a moment and swallowed hard, struggling to keep myself from saying what I so desperately wanted to say. I made my way to him after a couple of seconds. I put my arms around him and he pulled me close to his chest. I could feel his fear for my life coming off him, and I tried to feel as calm as I possibly could with the thoughts that were running through my mind. It didn't help much.

"Keep an eye on Sabrina," I whispered to his ear –so low only he could hear– remembering what Bella had said about Sabrina when Edward had accused her of being a backstabber. "I love you Jazz," I said before kissing him softly and tenderly. He kept his eyes closed even as I broke away. "Take care," I said, caressing his face one last time before joining Anna.

"Alice," Esme said, "Why are you doing this?"

I gazed at my family and felt a pang of remorse when I saw their confused expressions. I shared a look with Anna before I addressed them.

"I'll explain everything when I'm back," I said, "You'll understand then…goodbye," I said supporting Anna.

I had already helped Anna inside the Porsche and was about to get in too, when I heard Jasper's voice.

"Alice! Don't go!" he cried out.

It took all my strength, and then a little bit more not to look at him. Because I knew if I looked into my husband's pleading eyes I would never be able to leave. I couldn't do that to Bella.

_I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back._

So I ignored Jasper, hopped in, and drove away, the sound of screeching tires drowning out his desperate shouts.

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**Thank you for reading guys! Stick with me! I'll see you next month!!**

**Have a nice summer!!! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hellow guys!! **

**Finally!! I'm back!! I'm sorry it took me a little longer than I thought to update guys but as promised, here is the next chapter, I modified the last one and added some more ok?? I know it's not that long but it's the best I can do right know 'cause I'm leaving again, don't worry, this time only for a week!! **

**Hope you enjoy this guys! Thank you for sticking with me this long!! Also I know I said I'd reply to your reviews from chapter 13 but I don't have time to do so right now! sooooo.. I'll do it later haha :P**

**lov u guys! Don't forget to tell me your thoughts!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!

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_Help me save her. _

Anna's words echoed inside of my head, while I just stared at her, my eyes unfocused. I knew she needed my full attention right then, but all I could see was Bella's smiling face, and I couldn't help but wonder…_will I ever see her again?_

"Alice?" Anna whispered.

My hands were shaking, and I could hear her faint voice, but still, I couldn't bring myself to answer. My mind kept replaying the moment Bella chose to walk away from us, over and over. _How could I let her slip through my fingers?_

"Alice?" Jasper said.

_So stupid._

"Alice," Anna called me again, her voice stronger. But once again I didn't acknowledge her. I was so far gone, I barely noticed Carlisle going to Anna's aid.

"She's gonna die Alice!" her anguished cry finally brought me back to my senses and I looked at her, really looked at her.

"What can I do?" I asked quickly, my voice breaking, desperate for some kind of hope.

"You have to come with me," she said just as quick, struggling to get up, while Carlisle told her to take it easy. He was examining her wounds and he didn't seem to like what he was seeing.

"She's not going anywhere with you!" Jasper exclaimed from somewhere behind me.

"Jasper!" I snapped, locking eyes with him as Carlisle and I helped Anna back on her feet.

"You have to come with me, if you want to save her," she said weakly.

"Save who?" Emmett said, a small frown on his face.

"Isn't it obvious Emmett? It's Elizabeth," Rosalie's voice rang out from the back, "But why would _she_ need any saving?" a touch of bitterness in her voice, her eyes full of resentment.

I faced my sister and decided it was time to tell everyone the truth.

"Because she's–" my words stopped when I felt Anna grip my arm tightly. I turned to look at her questioningly. Her eyes met mine, and once I caught a glimpse of her terrified expression, I suddenly understood why she'd stopped me. The message was clear: _Don't tell them._

I opened my mouth to ask 'why?' but she only shook her head, "I promised," she whispered. "But you _have_ to come with me. I cannot do this alone," she said, wincing a little when she breathed out.

"You can't go anywhere in that state," Carlisle told Anna, "I won't let you,"

"You're not going to stop me," she wheezed, "I'll fight you if I have to," she said, her eyes hard and defiant. I stood there, staring at her in awe. Admiring her determination.

She really cared for Bella.

"If you don't rest, you'll only worsen your injuries," Carlisle said sternly, "How did you even get those?" he asked pointing at her ribcage.

"That doesn't matter right now,"

But she was stubborn too.

Carlisle was right; she was in no condition to go anywhere. She had a bad burn on the left side of her face, and judging by the way she was clutching her sides, I guessed she was hiding some other wounds, besides the scratches and bite marks we could see. I decided to try and convince her to tell me what she knew. That way she could stay and we could rescue Bella.

"Anna," I started.

"No Alice!" she said, "You don't understand! He's been waiting for this opportunity for _decades_! You have no idea what Kurt's going to do with her!" she exclaimed, raw anger blazing in her eyes.

"Whatever he's going to do with her, is none of our business," Rosalie said in an arrogant voice, "She brought it on herself,"

"Yeah, only because of _you_!" Anna hissed.

_Oh my God, did that mean what I thought it meant?_

"What?" Rosalie asked, confused.

_Had Bella agreed to go with Kurt, for our sake?_

"You heard me," Anna said through clenched teeth.

"Hey! Careful…" Jasper warned her, glaring at her.

"No, _you_ be careful Jasper," she said, returning his glare, "I'm not like Liz. I'm not as quick to forgive, as she is"

"What are you _talking_ about?" he asked, "What do you _have_ to forgive, we've done nothing to you!" he said.

"It's not what you've done to me that's the problem!" she yelled.

I gasped in realization. She was talking about Bella. She knew her story, and the part we had played in her death. That's why she had glared at Edward when we first met her!

"Alice," Carlisle said, taking a step forward, "Do you know something, that we don't?"

_She couldn't forgive us for what we'd done. Not the way Bella had._

"I…" I trailed off as Anna's grip on my arm intensified. "…I can't tell you," I whispered, shaking my head, and avoiding eye contact with any member of my family.

"Alice, love…" Jasper began, as he approached me, his hand reaching out. I shut my eyes tightly and faced the other way.

"Alice?" he said again, and this time, I forced myself to look at him, torn.

"Alice!" exclaimed Anna, demanding attention, she was clenching and unclenching her fists, "Are you coming?" she asked, her eyes boring into mine.

I tried to look away but I couldn't, her eyes held me there, like a chains made of steel. The love she had for Bella was so easy to see now; her crimson orbs shone with it, like brilliant rubies. Funny how I never thought I'd encounter such a sight. A red eyed vampire caring so much for someone else.

"Alice?" Anna prompted me for what seemed to be the thousandth time that night.

"I…I…" I stuttered, my gaze swept past my siblings, parents, and husband's faces, and I wasn't surprised to find astonishment written all over their features. They didn't understand why was I even considering the possibility of helping Elizabeth, Bella…a traitor.

My eyes darted once more from Jasper to Anna, back and forth again. Deep inside, I knew I had made my choice ever since Anna pleaded for me to help her, but…

_What about my family?_

_How could I voice my thoughts, make them understand… when I wasn't allowed to tell the truth?_

After another moment of hesitation, I felt Anna let go of me. I saw her jerk herself away from Carlisle, and say, "I think I'll take my leave now, I'm sorry for bothering you," she said coldly, "You know Alice…the way she used to talk about you…" she shook her head and sighed disappointedly, "I expected more of you," she finished, looking at me straight in the eye.

Her remark hit home, and I felt a strange pressure inside of my chest. My eyes stung with tears that would never be.

_So Bella still thought highly of me? Even after what we put her through?_

"Anna, wait," Esme said, "Let us help you," she said, surprising everyone in the room, including Anna herself.

"Thank you Esme," she said quietly after recovering, "But I only came here to seek Alice's aid, and I've already wasted too much time," she said starting to walk away.

_No!_

"Wait!" I called out, making a choice and causing her to stop on her tracks, "I'll go with you," I stated firmly.

"Then I'll go too," came Jasper's unexpected offering.

"What?" I gasped.

"No you won't," Anna said, "Only Alice can come,"

"Why?" asked Emmett, "I want to kick some butt too,"

"I can't take you all," she said, "That's just exactly what he wants,"

"Then why are you taking Alice?" Jasper asked.

"Because she's the only one I can't do this without," she said softly.

Jasper turned his gaze on me, "Alice," he said. The way he said my name, it was as if he was afraid it would be the last time he'd ever see me. Like I would be lost forever once I walked out the door. I hated to cause him any grief, but I couldn't leave Bella to die. Not again. Because this time, I _could _do something.

"No Jazz," I said brokenly, "I have to go,"

"Why?" he said, "Why risk your life for that girl, that traitor?"

I closed my eyes for a moment and swallowed hard, struggling to keep myself from saying what I so desperately wanted to say. I made my way to him after a couple of seconds. I put my arms around him and he pulled me close to his chest. I could feel his fear for my life coming off him, and I tried to feel as calm as I possibly could with the thoughts that were running through my mind. It didn't help much.

"Keep an eye on Sabrina," I whispered to his ear –so low only he could hear– remembering what Bella had said about Sabrina when Edward had accused her of being a backstabber. "I love you Jazz," I said before kissing him softly and tenderly. He kept his eyes closed even as I broke away. "Take care," I said, caressing his face one last time before joining Anna.

"Alice," Esme said in a small voice, "Why are you doing this?"

I gazed at my family one last time, and felt a pang of remorse when I saw their confused expressions. I shared a look with Anna before I addressed them.

"I'll explain everything when I'm back," I said, "You'll understand then…" I said supporting Anna. I felt so bad about leaving them behind, that when I opened my mouth, my 'goodbye' got caught in my throat and no sound came out. So I did the only thing I could and turned my back on them.

I had already helped Anna inside the Porsche and was about to get in too, when I heard Jasper's voice.

"Alice! Don't go!" he cried out.

It took all my strength, and then a little bit more not to look at him. Because I knew if I looked into my husband's pleading eyes, my resolve would come crashing down, and I would never be able to leave. I couldn't do that to Bella.

_I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back._

So I ignored Jasper's pleas, hopped in, and drove away, the sound of screeching tires and thunder, drowning out his desperate shouts.

* * *

"Anna?" I whispered once the plane had taken off the runway.

"Yes?" came her quiet reply.

"Do you…? Has she…? Umm…" I fumbled for the right words to say. Lucky for me, Anna seemed to know exactly what I wanted, needed to ask.

"You want to know what's happened to her throughout all these years, am I right?" she asked knowingly.

I could only nod my head.

She let out a long sigh and looked straight ahead.

"The first time I saw her," she started, "She was standing in front of the three brothers, pleading with Aro to kill her," she said softly, her gaze far away. "You could hear the pain in her voice when she told him she had no desire to live another day, let alone forever. When he refused to grant her death, she cried out, a sound that made my heart break,"

I stared intently at the floor, unwilling to look anywhere else. I felt my heart constrict at the thought of Bella, heartbroken and begging for death.

"He offered her a place to stay then, a place within the guard. Even then I could see the greed in Aro's eyes, it made me want to shout out for her to run, to run away and never look back. But I stayed quiet, and silently watched as she threw her life away, and agreed to a lifetime of servitude." Anna said.

"I was put in charge of showing her around, make sure she knew the rules, make sure she felt at 'home'" she chuckled, "How can a place like that ever be home?" she asked.

I didn't answer, and she didn't wait for me to.

"It took a while, but she eventually opened up to me, and we became friends. She was the first true friend I'd had in a long time," she continued, "She told me about her life, about her transformation, and I told her about mine,"

"What was it like?" I heard myself ask, "Her transformation?"

"It was pretty much like she told you," Anna replied, "Except she wasn't skiing with her friends,"

I frowned.

"I talked with her yesterday, she told me everything she's told you," she said in response.

_Yesterday. _It already seemed so long ago. I nodded for her to continue.

"She went hiking–"

"What– Bella? Hiking?" I interrupted.

"Yes, hiking," she repeated, "She was looking for a place Edward," she said his name with resentment, "Had shown her once,"

_Oh God._

"But as it was to be expected from her, she stumbled right into trouble, and the end of life as she knew it. Three vampires were waiting for her. Kurt, as you already know, Laurent, and Victoria," she paused, taking in my shocked expression.

_Laurent? _

"Victoria?" I hissed lowly.

"Yes, Victoria," Anna replied, her face impassive, "It was her and Laurent who first came to Volterra with the news of the vampire family that saw fit to share our secret with a human,"

"So the Volturri have known of this for four decades, and have done nothing to punish us?" I asked bewildered.

"Aro didn't think it was worth the trouble, if he was about to get his hands on a rare and precious talent. Though Caius thought different," she shrugged.

Anna's words were pounding in my head. Did she mean what I thought she meant?

"Anna, what do you mean?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Aro got wind of Victoria's plans for revenge and learned of Bella's potential from Laurent, after having contact with both of them. He forbid Victoria to kill Bella, but allowed her to…_play_ with her," she spit the word, "Before her transformation, so he sent Kurt along to bring her in after it was done."

My hands had clenched into tight fists and were shaking with repressed anger. I was furious. Furious with Aro; how _dare_ he play with the life of Bella? Furious with Victoria, but most of all, I was furious at myself, and my family. _We_ had done this to her. It was _our_ fault. How could we leave her at the mercy of our world? How could we not see something like this could happen? How could I _listen_ to Edward and turn my back on Bella's future?

"Alice," Anna's soft whisper brought me back and I realized I was shaking so bad I had attracted unwanted attention.

"Are you all right dear?" asked the brunette flight attendant, a worried look on her eyes.

"I'm fine thank you ma'am," I answered coolly.

"Ok, if you need anything, I'll be right down the hall," she said before taking her leave.

I closed my eyes and took a moment to relax. Once I felt ready I turned to Anna.

"She said she didn't go to the Volturri right away, was she lying?" I said.

"No, she wasn't," Anna said, "Bella told me she could remember the searing pain and burning that distinguishes a vampire bite right before she heard a deep angry growl coming from behind her. She was lying on the floor when she saw giant wolves spring from the trees, and tear Laurent and Victoria apart. She saw Kurt running away, and lost her consciousness."

_Giant wolves?_

"Werewolves?" I asked Anna out loud.

She nodded her yes, and let this new piece of information sink in.

_Werewolves… That explained the paw prints and uprooted trees I saw at the meadow 42 years ago._

"Why did they save her?"

"Turns out they were friends of hers, from the Quileute tribe, in La Push. They took care of her and allowed her to live with them for as long as she wanted to," she said.

I raised my brows. Never in my whole existence did I think I'd see the day vampires and werewolves could coexist, but it seemed like mythical creatures had a soft spot for Bella.

"What happened next?"

"She left for Volterra after a couple of weeks,"

"What?" I exclaimed, "And they let her?"

"She never told them about her death wish, she just said she needed some time on her own, so they let her go, hoping she'd return one day" Anna said.

"What was it like in Volterra? How did she escape?" I asked, desperate for more answers.

"I think that's a story Bella herself, should tell you," Anna whispered, softly, but firmly.

I nodded, liking the fact that Anna seemed sure we'd find Bella in time.

"Do you know what happened after she escaped the Guard?"

"She went back to the wolves," Anna said, "They welcomed her with open arms and she lived with them for ten years. She was happy, until they found her,"

"The Volturri?" I felt my stomach churn even as the words left my mouth.

"Kurt, his elder brother, and their coven," Anna replied.

"Kurt has a brother?"

"Had. Kurt had a brother," she corrected, "Hector was killed during the battle," she said, a shadow crossing her features.

"Battle?" I whispered as my breathing quickened. I knew Bella had survived; otherwise we wouldn't be here, but still… I couldn't help it.

"Hector and Kurt had come to take Bella away. The wolves weren't gonna let them. So they fought," Anna said, her voice dropping.

Silence filled the space between us, but before I could ask what happened next, she continued.

"From what Bella told me, it was a vicious fight. Nearly every member of Kurt's coven was killed, and…none of the wolves survived, as far as she knows," Anna quietly said, a small gasp escaped me, "Bella managed to escape the burning reservation before Kurt could get his hands on her though. Ever since then she's blamed the death of the Quileutes on herself,"

A sudden memory popped into my mind.

"_Lizzie, if this is about what happened with Jason and in La–" _

La Push.

"_Anna!" Lizzie cut her off, letting out a quiet growl._

"_All right! All right! I won't say it! I'm just telling you, you can't blame what happened on yourself!" she said, raising her voice, and taking Lizzie by the shoulders._

"_That place was burned to the ground because of me," said Lizzie, her voice deadly._

"_It wasn't your fault, you did everything you could,"_

"_It was me they wanted Anna, they had no business with them," Lizzie replied calmly._

_Anna suddenly let go of her, and sighed, looking tired. "Someday," she said, "I'm going to make you forgive yourself,"_

"Oh my God" I whispered, horrified, this was too much. "Oh Bella," I said, softly shaking my head.

"This, is one of the reasons why she has chosen not to get close, or emotionally attached to anyone anymore. The other one, I'm sure you can guess," Anna said.

Of course I could. It was called Jason.

"The rest you know,"

I let out a sigh. Another memory flashed before my eyes.

"_There were people coming after me! They were going to kill him to get to me! And I was not going to have anymore innocent blood on my hands!" she hissed._

"_Anymore blood on your hands? What? You got a friend of yours killed?" Edward spat out. "Besides Jason, I mean," he heard a furious snarl, and next thing he knew Lizzie's fist had landed on his cheek. The force of the impact sent him stumbling to the ground._

"_Don't you ever say that to me again," she growled, her eyes blazing with anger._

So this was why Bella seemed so tough. She'd been through so much, she had been hurting for so long, and she'd been completely alone. I felt a pang in my heart at my thoughts. I'd make sure she feels happy again, even if it's the last thing I do. I turned to Anna.

"We'll find her," I said.

"We will," Anna replied, reassuring both of us.

_Don't worry Bella, _I thought_, we're coming.

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	16. Chapter 16

**Hello guys!**

**Please don't kill me!! I really like this story and I am not giving up on it!! And I know this chapter is extra short but it's the best I can do right now, I have lots to do, and I'm really tired. I was typing the chapter yesterday and I literally fell asleep on the computer.**

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**Disclaimer" I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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**Lizzie's POV**

"Move," Victor's detached voice echoed through the dark corridor, as he shoved me down the slippery path we were walking in. I silently complied. I had neither strength nor desire to show any kind of resistance whatsoever.

"You're awfully quiet Bella," sneered Trevor. He ran his forefinger along my jaw line but withdrew it before I could do anything. "I wonder what's gonna happen to you now Bellsy" he laughed, showing off his perfect teeth, "What did Kurt say?" he turned to Victor.

"Master said, take her before the brother's" was Victor's only response.

"I reckon he'll be waiting there too then…" he trailed off, unfazed by the dry answer, deep in thought.

I shook my head. Victor and Trevor, identical twins. I'd never, in all my years, met two people so similar yet completely different at the same time. Like oil and water. They both had short, jet black hair, the same sharp features, pale skin and killer smile, but whereas Victor was passive and of serious nature, Trevor was devious, and had a sick sense of humor. I'd come to know them quite well during my stay with the Volturri, and despite their differences, they were always in synch with each other, both beautiful, both deadly.

A sudden image flashed before my eyes: Trevor's teeth, painfully close to Jasper's throat. I shivered. Had Kurt and I not arrived on time… My head started to spin, and along with the blond Cullen's shocked expression, came Alice's horrified cry. I began to feel dizzy as I recalled last night's events.

The moment I heard the word flames coming out of Anna's mouth, I knew they'd found me. How, though, was something I hadn't been able to answer. But I was sure it had to do with Sabrina. I had this gut feeling that couldn't be ignored, and there was always something nagging me in the back of my mind every time I looked at her; and it had nothing to do with the fact that Edward was with her now.

_Edward_, I thought with a slight pang; the hole he had left in me, the one I thought Jason had filled for good, had been slowly resurfacing during the past few days. It had been a while since I last thought of him, and it had been a complete shock and surprise to see him and the Cullens in the club that fateful night. Seeing them again after all the time apart had been overwhelming to say the least, and I hated to admit it, but even after everything I'd told myself, and everything I'd been through, I still hadn't been prepared to face them.

And as if that hadn't been enough, Brian had to waltz into my life too. That night. Out of all others.

Those meetings had brought back painful memories I so wanted to forget.

"Hey! Hold it!" Trevor exclaimed, grasping my shoulder with a little more strength than necessary.

I looked up and noticed I'd almost run into the doors that led to the brother's 'Throne Room'.

Trevor shot me an annoyed glance and then proceeded to open the grand doors. He motioned for Victor to follow before turning his back on us and entering the enormous chamber.

"Move," Victor said once again, grabbing hold of my upper arm and yanking me forwards.

I let out a small sigh and obliged, slowly approaching my doom.

A few torches perched up in the walls dimly lighted the room, giving it a strange orange glow. It made me feel welcome, despite the fact that I was repulsed by that place and wanted nothing more to do with it. And I hated myself for it.

"Oh! Bella! How wonderful of you, to grace us with your presence," Aro's deceivingly welcoming voice rang out, it shot shivers down my spine. "You've been sorely missed dear," he added, bowing his head a little, and glancing at his brothers in a flash.

Marcus had nothing to say, as always, so he just gave me a short nod. Caius on the other hand, seemed like he was refraining himself from snarling at me. He was scrunching up his face so hard, I was sure if he'd been human, his head would've been purple from the lack of oxygen. In the end though, he just scoffed and sent me a glare. One I returned gladly.

Turning my attention back to Aro, I found out, I didn't know what to say. So I just yanked myself out of Victor's firm grasp, wincing as I did so, made a small bow, and watched him intently. Aro's eyes flew to my injured arm and anger replaced the serene façade upon his features.

"Kurt," he said, his voice controlled.

"Yes, my lord," he responded, stepping out of the shadow's in the back of the thrones, and kneeling before Aro.

_So that's were he was._

"When I sent you to…retrieve Bella, I gave you specific instructions, right?" Aro started, joining the tips of his fingertips.

"Yes, my Lord. You did." Kurt said, not knowing where this was going.

"I thought I'd said: 'unharmed', didn't I?" he asked in a cold voice.

Surprise crossed Kurt's features, "Un– unharmed? My Lord­– I–" he stuttered.

"Didn't I?" Aro repeated, his voice louder and harder.

Kurt closed his eyes, "Yes, my Lord," he answered after a couple of seconds.

"Thank you Kurt," he said, "That's all," he added, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

"But– my Lord, I!" Kurt exclaimed, clearly taken aback by Aro's sudden display of hostility, and wanting a chance to explain.

What was there to explain, really? He'd made his demands very clear in that forest. I was to go with him or else he'd kill the entire Cullen Clan.

"_So it's Lizzie now, huh?" Kurt laughed, once we were standing far away from the fight._

"_Who told you that?" I asked quietly._

"_Oh you know, one hears things here and there…" he said, evading my question. "Now, on to the reason I'm here–"_

"_I know," I interrupted hastily, "I'll go with you,"_

_He raised his brows, and widened his eyes, "Bella, you surprise me!"_

I remember feeling my shield bend after every mental assault made against the Cullens.

"_Really?" I argued, sarcasm dripping from my voice._

"_Yes! You see after all these years of chasing you around, I didn't think you'd go down without a fight. I was expecting a little bit more… resistance, if you know what I mean," he said circling me, "That way, I'd have an excuse to do this," he hissed, grasping my upper arm and burning through cloth and skin._

I thought I remembered what it felt like to be burned by Kurt. After all, it only had been a couple of decades since I last fought him. But the fire of his ignited hand, hurt enough to compare it to the burning sensation of the transformation. So I lost my grasp on my shield and the Cullens, and couldn't help the agonizing scream that escaped my lips before I shook myself free, and kicked Kurt away.

_I fell down on my knees but quickly concentrated on getting my shield back on._

"_I'll go with you," I repeated, placing my cool hand over the burn, "Only, if you leave the Cullens alone," I panted, my eyes hard._

"_Mmm, why would I do that, when I can have you and get rid of them as well?" he mused._

"_Because then I'd tell Aro about your little plans of rebellion," I answered easily, "You wouldn't like that now, would you?"_

_He lifted his chin, clenched his jaw and looked down on me, memories of our encounter in La Push, flashing before us. Fire, hurt, loss, and confessions._

"_Let's go," was his only response, after that he took off in the direction we had come from._

_I allowed myself to smile a little then, "I thought so,"_

"My Lord Aro," started Kurt.

"I _said_," Aro emphasized, "That's all,"

At last, he gave up, "As you wish, my Lord," Kurt bowed low and as he straightened, he shot me a long stare, one filled with anger and resentment. He'd never liked the fact that I'd always been Aro's favorite toy. Maybe that's why he wanted…a different path for himself and his coven.

I kept my eyes on Kurt until he turned around, coat flapping behind him as he left the chamber. Trevor and Victor exchanged a quick glance before bowing and going after their master. I watched until the doors where closed and locked behind them.

"So, Bella dear," Aro called me, "How was your trip? Pleasant?" he asked, looking sincerely interested and concerned. Of course I knew better now.

"Yes," I replied in a light voice, "Yes it was, thank you," I refrained myself from addressing him as 'Lord'. He wasn't my Lord. Never was, never will.

"I'm glad then," he smiled.

I smiled back. I hated these formalities. We both knew what was coming. There was no use in postponing it. Apparently Caius was in my same line of thought for he stood up and made his way to me.

"Enough!" he exclaimed. "You little traitor! How could you dessert us like you did!" he hissed, his face dangerously close to mine. "How could you side with those _beasts_!" I clenched my jaw at the word, "Kill so many of your kind!"

"But isn't that what you do Caius?" I countered impassively, "Kill your own kind?"

"You insolent–!"

"Now, now, Caius, let's not be hasty," Aro interfered, "I'm sure Bella knows the mistake she's made and will not do again, don't you Bella?" He turned his appraising gaze on me.

I clenched my hands into fists, "Of course," I managed to whisper. I knew this was the beginning of yet another imprisonment; one that would last a lifetime.

"See, brother?" Aro laughed, "Bella knows what's good for her, and for others," he said.

I closed my eyes

_Of course. _

"Tell me dear," Aro continued, "How's my old friend Carlisle?" he asked.

"_Hello, Elizabeth" he said to me, extending his hand, "Welcome to our home," he added._

"He's good," I said, "Compassionate, as always," I added, thinking of his kind face.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, "And what about Edward? Alice?" he asked, his eyes shining with curiosity, greed and hunger for power.

"_We just wanted to thank you for what you did back there"_

"_You painted it?" she asked incredulous. "It's beautiful!" she exclaimed_

_Edward frowned, "How can you be able to remember that?" he asked, genuinely curious._

"_You should come shopping with us tomorrow,"_

"_Twelve o'clock sharp!" she warned, laughter in her voice._

"_Forgive me, Alice is being…Alice," he said in that beautiful voice of his, "Do come in," he said stepping aside to clear the way. _

"_You seemed to be close," Edward said._

"_I told Jasper, we'd be friends, that I'd love her someday, and I did," she said softly, "I did," she repeated._

"_I left, because I loved her!" he said, matching my tone._

"_She was everything to me!"_

"_You're with them, aren't you?" she asked me softly._

"_Why did you betray us?"_

"_I can't believe that we believed you," Edward said taking a step forwards, "That I believed you,"_

"…_tell me something that's real," she said._

I swallowed. Hard.

"They're both good, Aro," I said, "They're just fine"

"And the rest?" he said.

"They're great,"

"Good, good," he said, rubbing his hand together, "It's nice to know. Did you enjoy seeing them again Bella?" he asked me.

"What?" I choked out.

_What was the matter with him and his questions?_

"Was it nice, for you to see them again?" he repeated, "I mean, after all, you once considered them family,"

I took a deep breath.

"I loved them like one," I said quietly, my heart slowly crumbling to pieces.

"The things people do for their loved ones, right Bella?" Aro spoke aloud.

I stayed silent.

_What did he know?_

"It's a good thing you love them still though. Otherwise their future wouldn't look bright at all," he stated, "You do remember our agreement, don't you dear?"

_How could I forget? My life and freedom, for theirs._

"Yes" I whispered, looking at him right in the eye. My expression somber.

"Oh Bella! Don't look at me like that," he complained, "They gave away our secret, they wouldn't be alive and well today if I hadn't made you that offer," he said, "It was merely your choice that gave them a second chance. You realize that don't you? You know I'm not forcing anything on you,"

_No, he wasn't. But that hadn't been a choice either. My freedom, or the Cullens lives. No, that hadn't been a choice at all._

"Of course, Aro," I said, humoring him, "I do realize that. Thank you," I said with an effort.

"Oh don't mention it dear!" he laughed, while Caius rolled his eyes and Marcus looked bored.

"Now that we've settled that, may I retire Aro? I'm a bit tired," I said, hoping he'd let me go before assigning me a job.

"Yes Bella," he said, "But before you go, I must ask something of you,"

_Well, there goes my hope_

"Yes?"

"As you might have noticed, Heidi's away for now, and we're in dire need of blood, all of us. So I was wondering if you'd like to sing for the people in town tomorrow night,"

I felt my stomach churn. I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it one bit.

"You know, you don't have to do anything, just sing, we'll just snatch away some tourists, a couple or two, while you're at it," he said, "So what do you say?"

I hesitated.

Aro noticed and decided to prompt me, "Come on Bella, it would be a shame for one of the Cullens to suffer because of some tourists, wouldn't it?"

I closed my eyes for a moment. That was why I hated him.

"Yes,"

"Excellent!" he exclaimed, "You can go now, I'll let you know the details tomorrow,"

I made a small bow and exited through the doors, making no noise at all.

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	17. Chapter 17

**Hello guys!**

**I'm back!!! and so sorry for making you wait for so long!! Please forgive me, my life's been crazy and it's past midnight, and I should be asleep right now, but I couldn't wait to post this chapter for you guys!**

**I know it might not be too much, but I hope it was worth the long wait!**

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**Alice POV**

It was noon already when we walked through the gates of Volterra. The sun was shining bright, so we kept to the shadows between the towering buildings of the ancient city. My eyes swept over the streets, there were people walking by, chatting loudly, and laughing at the most simple things, oblivious to the world they were inadvertently part of.

"Alice," the redhead called my name, "This way," she motioned for me to follow as she turned down a dark alley.

Silence immediately filled my ears as the brick walls surrounding us drowned out the noise and life ever present in the plaza.

"Damn it," Anna swore under her breath once she finished looking at something on the far end of the alley.

My stomach churned nervously, "What is it?" I asked as she came to a stop and sat beside a statue of the most grotesque winged gargoyle I'd ever seen. The contrast between the hideous creature and Anna's beautiful face was remarkable.

She shook her head, as if to clear it, before meeting my worried gaze with hers.

"See this ugly guy here?" she pointed at the gargoyle.

I nodded, "What about it?"

"This used to be the beginning of the only path that led to Kurt's lair," she began.

"Kurt's lair? Wait, so he doesn't live with the rest of the Guard?" I asked, confused.

"No," Anna answered, a ghost of a smile on her face, "Kurt's coven, they… they like to think of themselves as independent of the Volturri," she said, "Fools," she added with a dark chuckle.

I frowned, it seemed like Bella wasn't the only one who had issues with Kurt. I pushed that thought away and focused on the present. "You said 'used to be', what's wrong with it now?" I asked her.

"I can tell it hasn't been used in years," she said, her fingers tracing the cracks along the gargoyle's face. Her eyes had a far away look, lost in a time long past.

"Anna?" I said softly. I understood this place may held memories that she might find worth remembering, but I was itching to get Bella, turn my back on this city and never look back. And now that we had no idea where Kurt had taken her, well…

"I know," she said, snapping back to reality, "Alice, could you look into Bella's future for me? I know it's shifting right now, but I need to be sure of something,"

"Of course,"

I took a deep breath and braced myself for the stream of images that was heading my way.

_Bella was fuming, muttering curses and pacing back and forth in a dark room, dimly lit by a couple of torches._

_The door behind her opened and Aro strode in; his face acquired an eerie glow as he approached the fire._

_She regarded him coldly._

"_Hello Bella, dear," Aro said, almost affectionately, "Are you ready for tonight's performance?"_

Then the scene changed.

_The crowd roared loudly and begged for more, whereas Bella's expression looked tortured._

_There were flashing lights all around and crowd's chant was deafening._

I remained motionless, my eyes closed tightly.

To see Bella walking and talking again, more beautiful than ever, made me feel dizzy with joy. I couldn't wait to see my best friend again. I blinked a few times before facing Anna, who was staring at me expectantly.

"So? What did you see?" she asked.

Once I told her, her expression brightened considerably.

I frowned, an unspoken question.

"This is good," she said, her voice quivering with emotion, "Better than I expected," she said standing up.

I watched her, slightly puzzled. _What was she going on about?_

"Um, did I miss something?" I demanded, a little more rudely than I intended. I didn't like being left out of the loop. Now I guess I could understand what my family felt whenever Edward and I had a silent conversation.

_Edward._

_What will he do when he finds out the truth?_

"Oh! I'm sorry Alice," she said sheepishly, reminding me of Emmett, "It's just I overheard some people in the street, a couple of minutes ago, talking about some kind of concert tonight," she said.

"Ok, and," I prompted, eager to know what had put her in such a good mood.

"They said it was gonna be hosted in some private property near the plaza, by a group of agents called 'The Cold Ones'" she paused.

"What?" I snorted.

"My thoughts, exactly," she smiled, "But then again, Aro always had a weird sense of humor," she rolled her eyes.

"So you think they're going to make her sing?" I asked, curious as to where this was going.

"Oh I know they're gonna make her sing," she said, a shadow crossing her face.

"Because of my vision?"

"Partly," she nodded, "But I kind of had a hunch. They've done this before, Heidi must be out of town," she muttered. "Poor Bella," she added as an afterthought, "She used to hate this,"

_Heidi must be out of town._

The meaning behind Anna's word's seemed to echo in the small alley.

"Oh God," I whispered, "So that's how they're going to get enough people to feed themselves," I said dismayed.

Anna just nodded, "As bad as it sounds though, this will work to our favor,"

I turned my head towards her, already catching on her train of thought. "If we can follow any member of the Guard once the concert's over–"

"They'll lead us straight to where they're keeping her," Anna finished for me.

Which was obviously the Volturri Castle, but given what we were planning to do, we couldn't just waltz through the front door.

"You know," I started, "Maybe we could try to sneak Bella out before they get a chance to take her again,"

Anna looked doubtful, "I don't think that'll work, Alice. Remember, whether we like it or not, it was Bella's choice to come here," she said.

I grimaced but her comment got me thinking about what she had said to Rose back in our house.

"Anna?"

She tilted her head sideways.

"When Rosalie said, that what happened to Bella was none of our business, because she had brought it on herself… You said she'd done it because of us… What did you mean?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Anna gave out a long sigh and ran one through her hair, "I'm not sure I should answer that question Alice," she told me, her eyes troubled.

"Please," I whispered, "I need to know," Even if I didn't want to hear it, even if I didn't like it, _I needed to know._

She let out another sigh before saying, "The first thing you need to understand is that regardless of what you all did to her all those years ago, she still loved–" she shook her head slightly, "loves you…she still loves you," she amended, looking at me with a penetrating gaze.

My breath got caught in my throat at her words.

"And second, well, Bella's become quite talented, throughout the years. Something that didn't escape Aro's eye." she continued, "That's why he's so desperate to keep her by his side. Desperate enough to blackmail her," she said darkly.

"Blackmail her?" I asked, although I could already see the truth hanging over my head. Ready to fall upon me like a ton of bricks.

"When she first met the three brothers, Bella only had her shield to bargain with," Anna went on, disregarding my question, "Even then, her potential was amazing, and Aro saw that. 'Imagine what she could do one day!' he'd said when he found out his mind reading wouldn't work on her," she clenched her fists and paused a moment, "She was vulnerable, and she felt lost," her voice trembling, though whether from anger or sorrow, I couldn't tell. "So Aro simply had to offer a place she could belong to for her to cave in," she said, "A home," she spat the word, glaring at the floor.

I felt my heart tighten. We were supposed to be her home.

"After some time, Bella came to realize the mistake she'd made by joining the Guard. But by then it was already too late," Anna said softly, "She was remarkably talented, physically and mentally speaking, and Aro was not gonna let his precious jewel slip through his fingers."

She looked up to me, "I was there when Bella shared her…uneasiness with Aro, asking for a release. He said 'no'. She told him she was leaving anyways, and if he wanted to stop her he might as well kill her for all she cared, because there was nothing he could do to make her change her mind," she made a short pause before continuing.

"He then said, that there was nothing he could do to _her_. That made her stop in her tracks. 'What do you mean?' she'd said, He repeated himself and then started going on about how he never even talked to Carlisle and your family about spilling our secret. He said he'd hate to hurt his old friend, so might be looking forward to recruit some more talented young people instead of calling out death sentences, since he was loosing a most precious asset the moment she walked out the door,"

"Oh my God," I whispered, horrified at what was coming.

"'Imagine, beautiful young Alice, and Edward, with his brilliant mind, walking down these halls! How happy would they make me!' he said. The look on Bella's face when she heard him speaking," she shook her head, her expression pained, "It was like her entire world was falling apart faster than the words were leaving his mouth,"

"'But of course, I don't think it necessary to split such a wonderful family, don't you Bella?' he asked. The finality in his tone made it clear there was no negotiating, and this was her last chance to backtrack," Anna continued, her hate for Aro blazing like fire in her dark eyes. "So she did the only thing she could: Agree with him, bow gracefully and leave Aro's presence,"

I was stunned. "Oh Bella," I cried softly, my mind was buzzing with the information I'd just learned, and I fought the urge to barge into the Volturri Castle and rip Aro's head off. I couldn't believe he'd sink that low. To think he once thought of making us join the Guard sent shivers down my spine. Bella's voice resounded on the back of my mind, a distant memory.

"_Oh Carlisle," Lizzie began, almost pitifully, "You have no idea, of the way he talks about your family," _

"_Especially about Alice and Edward, like they're two of the most prized possessions he could ever hope to have," she said, looking at us with worried eyes._

I trembled slightly, feeling even worse now that I knew, that despite the fact that we hadn't protected Bella,_ she_ had protected _us_.

I couldn't believe she would sacrifice everything for us.

"Just so you know, I'm not telling you how she managed to get away from here, or how she got to change her appearance," Anna said, shaking me out of my thoughts, "That's still something Bella ought to tell you herself," she added with a slight dismissing wave.

She stood up, "So, after finding Bella in La Push, and losing her again, Kurt told Aro she had perished in the fire," she carried on, "He believed him, and stopped searching for her, making it easier for Kurt to track her down for his own purposes but–"

"Wait," I interrupted, "Wouldn't Aro know Kurt had been lying when he touched him?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Aro doesn't touch Kurt," she replied curtly, "Or any member of his coven for that matter. It's part of their own agreement: Kurt's services, in exchange for privacy; besides, Aro trusts Kurt, even if he shouldn't. Kurt's thoughts are his own," she muttered.

"How do you know all this?" I asked, perplexed by her knowledge, "About Kurt lying to Aro, about his agreement? You couldn't have been there when that happened, I remember you telling Bella you ran away shortly after she did," I added.

She stared at me intently for a while before answering. "I trust you Alice," she said finally, "But there are some things I like to keep to myself,"

"Anyways, Kurt kept looking for Bella behind Aro's back, and found her he did," she said before I could ask anything else. "_He_ was the one who killed Jason. He wanted to break her, and make her suffer. Neither Bella nor I, know why he waited to get his hands on her, but whatever the cause, it gave her a wide enough window of opportunity to escape his grasp once again," Anna said.

"She had been escaping detection for a while, up until now," she said.

"You said Aro had believed Kurt's lie, that he'd believed Bella was dead," I started, once she nodded I continued, "But you also said Aro had put a price on Bella's head," I told her, not accusingly.

"Kurt recently told Aro he'd heard from a good source of his, that Bella had somehow survived the fire, and was staying at the Cullen's, posing as another person," Anna replied.

"But who would–?" the words froze in my mouth.

"Sabrina," I said.

"Exactly," was Anna's only comment.

My head was immediately filled with concern for my family, "I got to call Jasper," I said, fumbling for my phone.

"No!" exclaimed Anna, taking hold of my shaking hands.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, trying to free myself.

"Stop it Alice!" Anna said, "As long as your family remains clueless, they're safe!"

I stopped moving, "What do you mean?" I asked, allowing myself to relax a little.

"I mean, that Kurt doesn't want to do anything that would enrage Aro," she said, "At least not yet," she mumbled lowly, "Killing Carlisle's family would indeed, set him off. So as long as your family behaves, and doesn't become a threat to him, it'll be safe," she finished.

I looked at her, doubt gnawing at my insides.

"Trust me," she said, and something in her voice and her eyes made me, besides, Bella seemed to trust her with her life so…

"Ok," I sighed.

"Thank you," she said, visibly relaxing too.

I took a deep breath and made an effort to come back to our previous conversation.

"So, the reason why Bella left with Kurt, is it the same reason she remained a part of the Guard all those years ago?" I asked Anna.

"Yes,"

I let out a long sigh and sat on the floor, "Ok," I said quietly. I felt so worthless; we didn't deserve Bella's sacrifice. _I_ didn't deserve Bella's sacrifice. I couldn't believe she'd go back to the life she once hated to save us. Even after we called her a traitor. Even after I doubted her.

I stared at the far end of the alley.

_I need to talk to her, _I thought desperately.

I noticed a slight movement behind one of the adjoining buildings that towered beside us, and heard the faintest of footsteps. A pale hand was suddenly in my field of view, "Come on," Anna said, "We gotta go Alice, Sabrina would've alerted Kurt of our being here by now. They'll be looking for us."

"Let's go then," I said, taking her hand and letting her hoist me up.

"We'll need to keep 'em busy until sundown," she grinned, walking fast past the people walking by, looking for some shade to hide from the burning rays of the sun.

"You know there's something I wanted to ask you before," I told her, falling into step behind her.

"Shoot,"

"How did Kurt manage to earn Aro's trust?"

She stayed silent for a couple of seconds, as if pondering over whether she should answer or not, before she actually did, "Because Kurt gave him something that was precious to him,"

"What did he give him?" I pried.

More silence before she said, "His sister,"

_His sister? God! Who would ever sell his sister, for anything? _I thought, horrified and disgusted.

"If she's part of the Guard, maybe I've heard of her… Who was she?" I asked, my voice mirroring my horror.

She ducked into a dark space between two rows of houses and I followed, almost bumping into her when she stopped abruptly. Before turning around and answering my question.

"Me,"

**So how was it?? Please review!!**

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	18. Chapter 18

**Helloo peoplee its good to be back!! **

**This chapter isn't as long as I was hoping it would be but it's the best I can do since I don't know if I'll have enough time to write some more this coming week!**

**Still I hope you like it!**

**I'm sorry if some of it is confusing, it'll all be explained in later chapters ok?**

**Thank you guys for reviewing so much! haha I love to read reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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**Bella's POV**

The grand doors closed behind me with a loud thud that echoed across the long hallway that stretched in front of me. I paused to take a deep breath before starting down the marble corridor. I let my hand trace the carvings and texture of the walls as I walked down memory lane. They felt the same way they had more than three decades ago. As I gave a few more strides, my eyes traveled over a large arch that marked the entryway to the Guard's chambers. My chamber. I looked around once more, taking in the sight that greeted me.

A beautiful crystal and gold chandelier hung up lowly from the high ceiling, and the polished surface of the floor acted like a sort of mirror. It made the ancient wing seem all the much bigger. I stared at my own reflection for long, silently regarding the face staring back at me. It had been a while since I'd last seen it.

_This is the face of the girl that fell in love with Edward Cullen; _I couldn't help but think.

In an instant, it was gone, replaced by Lizzie's features. Dark brown hair, abruptly fading back to the lighter shade I'd grown accustomed to over the years.

_This is who you are now_, I thought angrily to myself. A strong, independent vampire, not the lovesick, innocent human girl that got her heart broken beyond repair.

_You cannot erase the past, Bella, _Daniel's parting words sprang forward from the corner of my mind; _it's what makes you who you are today. Without it you're nothing._

My right hand immediately went to rest over the silver medallion that hung around my neck, safely tucked inside my clothes. A blessing, a curse. It felt abnormally cold despite the fabric beneath my fingers, it always did. The power it held, it seemed to come to life at my touch. Old memories pushed their way to the surface, but I squashed them down. I did not wish to remember Daniel right then. He was the one who had given me back my freedom, and being here again, on my own free will, felt like the highest of treasons, an insult to his memory.

_You cannot erase the past… _his voice faded away inside of my head.

_Well, Daniel, I sure as hell can try, _I thought darkly, clenching my hands into tight fists.

"Well this looks awfully familiar, huh darling?" Kurt's mocking voice came suddenly from behind me.

"You think?" I said, with no interest. I knew what he was talking about.

"Yes," he replied, "Only you looked a tad bit more different than you are right now, though I can't figure out why. You see as far as my knowledge goes, vampires remain untouched by the hands of time. Never aging, never _changing_. I can't seem to understand why one of us should be exempted from the rule," he said, closing in on me and whispering in my ear, "Do you?"

I remained still, "What do you want?" I muttered, tiredly. I was in no mood to play games with him.

"Walk with me," was all he said as he stepped around me and crossed the archway, confident that I'd follow.

I let out a long sigh and hesitated for a couple of seconds, glancing longingly at the path that led to my room, and then back to the one Kurt had taken. I really didn't want to have the conversation I was sure would follow, but sooner or later he would've come to me anyways. So… the sooner the better, I guessed as I took the first step. I just hoped I could get him off my back.

"So," Kurt started, "How does it feel to be back home?" he asked hands behind his back, making small talk.

I winced at the word _home_. This place had never been my home. But I knew he had laid the bait for me to take, and I wasn't giving him the satisfaction. So instead of disagreeing with his choice of words, I decided to answer his question, as honestly as I could.

"Overwhelming,"

He let out a small chuckle, "I can't imagine why, it's not as if much has changed. Only a few empty slots within the Guard" he said, obviously talking about Daniel.

I said nothing.

I'd had no part in Daniel's death. But still, I couldn't help but feel some responsibility. After all, he'd rendered himself defenseless when he gave his medallion to me.

"I take it Lord Aro has already told you about our small event, tomorrow night?" Kurt asked me, smugness hidden in his voice. He knew I despised doing Heidi's job.

"Yes," I replied, "He told me as soon as he…waved you away," I said, taking the chance to strike his ego.

I noticed him stiffen, and then stop altogether. We had reached a white room I'd never seen before.

"How did he do it?" he asked me, turning around, his face uncomfortably close to mine.

I began to feel nervous but made an effort to keep a straight face. I hadn't come up with a convincing lie to cover my escape decades ago just yet. So I decided to play dumb to buy myself some time.

"What? Wave you away?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow, "Why, you were there weren't you? He used his hand. That's how people usually dismiss someone they don't want to see anymore," I said, watching as his expression hardened.

"You know what I'm talking about Bella," he hissed. Oh of course I knew. "I'm sure Daniel had something to do with you looking like, like this," he gestured my face, "How did he do it?" he asked again, his eyes acquiring a feverish glint. It gave him a crazed look, and it scared me.

I knew maybe I was pushing it too hard, but I decided to risk it and took a deep breath, "You seriously think a vampire," I started, "Would have the power to do this to me, even after he's been long dead?" I said, my tone questioning his sanity. Of course, he need not know he was right, in some way.

I saw doubt cross his features and I knew I had made the right choice, "Then how did you manage to change yourself?" he asked, "Vampires only have one power, and yours is merely a shield,"

He had me trapped.

I didn't know what to say, and I wasn't sharing Daniel's secret. I couldn't come up with a good enough answer, so I just shrugged carelessly.

So fast, I didn't see it coming, he slapped me across the face and snarled: "Quit playing games with me!"

He had caught me off guard, but I took the slap and held my head up high, my expression becoming fierce, before replying that I wasn't going to tell him anything.

"I'm loosing my patience darling", he said through clenched teeth.

I shrugged once more, "Tough luck" I said, my eyes hard.

My mind was working furiously, desperately trying to find a way out of this situation, before it took a turn for the worst.

"Do you want to die Bella?" he asked me, his voice turning steady and calm.

"Why are you asking?" I demanded confused as to where this was going.

"Because that's exactly what's going to happen if you don't answer my question," he said, his expression dead serious. "Aro knows about your newfound ability, and he's curious as well. But I'm sure you've guessed this already, I don't see why you met with him looking like Bella Swan." he continued.

I stayed quiet. I wasn't going to tell him I was hoping Aro didn't know yet, or if he did, he wouldn't bombard me with questions right away if I looked the same as I'd looked all those years ago.

"Still, he doesn't know anymore than I do, and that's going to stay that way," he said. "And if I can't have you and your secret, then no one will," he added.

"I'm not the only one with a secret Kurt," I replied, unfazed by his last comment.

"Maybe I don't care if Aro finds out about my plans anymore," he countered. "You won't be able to talk your way out of this Bella, the way you always have,"

"Even so, Aro won't let you kill me," I stated.

"Aro's not here right now," he argued back.

"Then do it," I said, my voice strong and confident. If it came to it, I'd use the medallion, "Let's see who goes down first," I added, standing straight and tacking a step back.

"I don't want it to come down to this Bella," he said sighing, "I don't want to fight you right now,"

"Afraid you'll lose?"

He gave out an exasperated sigh.

"Look, Bella" he said pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to ask you one, last, time, how did he do it?"

"And I'm going to say this one last time, I'm not telling you a damn thing Kurt!" I replied glaring at him.

"Then you'll get me the Cullens," he said, no doubt thinking about how useful they would be in his stupid rebellion against the Volturri.

"You wish," I muttered. I wasn't going to pull them into this mess.

"So you'd rather die for them?" he asked incredulous, raising his brows.

"As far as they're concerned," I murmured looking at him straight on, "I'm already dead"

He opened his mouth and readied himself to strike a blow when the sound of footsteps made him stop.

It was Trevor.

His eyes darted from Kurt to me, and then back again, before saying, "Master," he bowed, "Lord Aro is asking for you," he said.

"Thank you Trevor," he replied curtly, "You can go now,"

He bowed one more time before taking his leave.

"Duty calls," I smirked.

He snorted, "Indeed," he said, turning his back on me and walking away, "But we're not done yet. This is far from over darling," he called out.

"Sure," I muttered, watching him go. I closed myself and was about to let out a sigh in relief when Kurt decided he hadn't crushed my life enough already.

"Oh! You know," he said pausing in mid walk, "I received a call a couple of minutes ago. We'll be having guests arriving at the gates around noon,"

I froze.

It couldn't be.

"It seems to be our sisters can't live without us," he chuckled at my shocked expression. "Who would've known I'd have the chance to get my hands on little Alice after all?" he said laughing and leaving me alone, standing in that white room. Frozen in terror.

_Anna, _I thought horrified beyond words_, what have you done?_

_

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_

**Carlisle POV.**

I stood still in the foyer of our home, silently watching as my family fell apart. I could hear Jasper screaming for Alice to come back. I could see my beautiful Esme, sitting in the loveseat, sobbing her heart out. Emmett and Rosalie quietly arguing. Edward and Sabrina nowhere to be found.

I felt helpless, and useless. What kind of father was I if I couldn't even stop my family from crumbling apart?

_Why did you leave Alice?_

As I contemplated that question I realized that Alice's sudden change of heart had happened only after she'd gone upstairs to see the contents of Elizabeth's sac. Could that be what so radically changed my daughter's mind?

I caressed Esme's face and kissed her forehead softly before heading to Alice's room.

I didn't know what to expect, but what I found there, was beyond anything I could have ever expected.

My eyes widened as I took a look at the pictures that lay scattered over the bed.

Bella.

Bella.

And more Bella.

I felt a headache coming.

What did Alice make of all of this? Had she thought Lizzie had known Bella and was gone to get some answers, or was there something more?

Was this why Elizabeth reacted strangely whenever Bella had been mentioned?

I walked down the stairs slowly holding a photograph in my hands. My mind was still trying to process what I'd just seen, when I heard an astonished voice cry out.

"What!" Edward rushed past me right into Alice's room.

"What's going on?" asked an alarmed Rosalie.

I silently handed her Bella's picture.

"Carlisle?" she asked stretching my name and looking up to me, "What's this?" her voice trembled slightly.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Emmett from behind Rosalie's back, his eyes wide. "Bella?"

"Elizabeth's sac was full of them," I said.

"What?" Esme asked in a broken voice as she and Jasper approached us.

The only one who didn't seem to be moved by what was happening was Sabrina, and maybe it was to be expected, since she hadn't known Bella. But still, her eyes had a calculating look that slightly bothered me.

Jasper's eyes caught my gaze and followed it. He narrowed his eyes, barely.

"Where were you just now?" he asked, his voice clipped.

"I needed some fresh air after the battle," she said, I couldn't help but think it sounded…rehearsed.

"Weren't you worried Kurt would come back?" Jasper inquired.

"I figured there wouldn't be a reason for him to, after that traitor was gone" she answered quickly, "Anyways what's going on? What's up with all this commotion over a photograph?" she asked.

We all looked at her and I'm sure all of us would've said something offensive hadn't Edward emerged from the room when he did.

"I'm going to Volterra," he said, steel and determination in his voice.

"Wait! Why?" asked Sabrina, grabbing hold of one of his hands.

"I don't care what Anna says. I'm not going to stay here doing nothing, when Alice is gone with her to find the answers to our questions from Elizabeth. Those three women have a lot of explaining to do" he said, yanking his hand free, "Feel free to follow if you wish," he said before heading out the door.

"Wait Eddie! I'll go with you!" called out Sabrina, going after him.

Jasper glared at Sabrina and shot me a glance before exiting the house after her.

I glanced at the rest of my family.

"We'll do this together," Esme said.

Emmett and Rose nodded their agreement.

"Let's go then,"

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**It seems Volterra is the place to be right now huh? Hope you enjoyed it!!**

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	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! once again I'm sorry for the long wait, you know the drill, life's crazy! and I've been extremely busy!**

**Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter, we'll get to see some action in the next one don't worry!**

**I'll see what I can do to update sooner! love you guys tell me what you think! **

**Oh and by the way thank you guys for all of your reviews! really I don't have time to answer them all, but just so you know I appreciate every one of them! a special thanks to vampireditto19 for reviewing every single chapter! haha don't worry, you weren't annoying and you made me laugh!! (in a good way!! :))**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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**Bella POV**

I sat quietly, unmoving on the cold marble floor, staring at the shadows in the wall in front of me.

_Could vampires go into shock?_

I shut my eyes tightly.

It had been hours since Kurt had crushed all my hope at keeping the Cullens and Anna safe. It had been hours since I went to my room and thought of them. It had been hours since I last moved.

It had been hours and still, no solution to my current predicament came to my mind.

A loud bang coming from the halls above me startled me and I stopped breathing. I was immediately alarmed and I strained my ears to listen some more.

"Glad you can still take a punch!" an all too familiar voice exclaimed.

A growl was the only response it got.

"Don't be such a baby William!" Trevor laughed, "Our chariot waits,"

I heard their footsteps fade away.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I'd been afraid that Kurt or Aro had gotten their hands on Anna and Alice.

_Alice_

I clenched my hands into fists, trying hard to contain my anger. What on earth was she doing here? I thought I made it pretty clear that I'd betrayed them, and they bought it, all of them, I could see it in their eyes. So, what could Anna have possibly done to make her come all the way to Volterra?

I felt a stab of fear as I considered the possibility of Anna giving out my secret, but I shook it away as soon as it came. She wouldn't.

_Are you sure?_

_Shut up._

"Damn it!" I growled, standing up and walking across the room. I couldn't shake the anxiety that ran trough my veins. This was wrong. They should both be safe and sound in the States, not across the _freaking_ Atlantic! If they got caught, then everything I'd sacrificed would be _for nothing!_

I stopped pacing and fought back the urge to scream in frustration as I heard someone approach my door. It opened up and in came Aro. I regarded him with a cold gaze, hiding behind the mask I'd perfected over the years. Only Jasper would've been able to catch onto my turmoil.

"Hello Bella, dear," Aro said, almost affectionately, "Are you ready for tonight's performance?"

_As if._

"If I said no," I began, "Would it make a difference?" I said, in a monotonous voice, shrugging in a careless manner.

That got a laugh out of the ancient ruler, "Oh Bella! Your sense of humor never ceases to surprise me," he said taking a step closer to me.

I took one back.

He seemed unfazed by my reaction and continued addressing me as if I were a long lost friend, the way he always had.

"Como on dear, let's go now," he said, gesturing for me to come forward.

I frowned, "I thought we weren't supposed to leave just yet," I said, and then remembering what I'd just heard I decided to add, "And what about Trevor and William? I heard them leaving a couple of minutes ago," I told him.

"They've gone to take their positions," he said.

I stayed silent, waiting for a decent explanation.

Aro sighed, and then proceeded to elaborate, "Kurt and his coven will be stationed at various points throughout the Plaza tonight, while the Guard snatches away a few humans" he said, "Just in case. You know we wouldn't want anyone slipping in, or out for that matter, right?" he added with a smile.

"Sure," I said, "That would indeed, be unfortunate," my insides were burning with hate for the man standing in front of me, that is, if he could still be called that. I couldn't stand his cheerful and gallant charade, I'd rather have him behave for what he truly was.

A deceiver, and manipulator.

"As for you and I Bella dear," he said oblivious to my inner struggle, "It's been a long time since we've talked don't you think?"

_Not long enough_, I thought.

He didn't wait for an answer, "So I was thinking you and I could take a walk before you have to get ready for the stage," he said, his voice leaving no room for arguing. This was no offering; it was an order.

"After you," he said, stepping aside to let me through.

I walked past him and waited for him to fall into step with me, so he could lead. It had been a long while since I'd wandered the Volturri Castle on my own, but I could still remember every twist and turn as though it had been yesterday. Aro needn't know that. My knowledge and his ignorance might work to my advantage one day.

"Don't you know the way anymore Bella?" he asked, as we took a left, and walked past renaissance paintings.

"Like you said, it's been a long time," I turned his words on him.

He chuckled, apparently amused. Funny how I wasn't.

"Yes, you're right," he said, then after a couple of seconds he spoke again.

"Bella," he said, "I know you may find it hard to trust me,"

I huffed, _that had to be the understatement of the century._

"But I would like for you to share your secret with me," he continued, gazing ahead.

I took a deep breath. I'd known this was coming, and I still didn't know how to lie my way trough this one.

"My secret?" I repeated.

"Yes," he said, "I would very much like to know how you managed to accomplish that new look of yours" he said, gesturing at my face.

_Shit! _I thought, I'd completely forgotten about it. I never changed back to my 'Bella look' after talking with Kurt. How could I'd been so _stupid_?

He stopped without a warning and turned to me. By the look on his eyes, I could tell my mask was gone, and my dismay was drawn clearly upon my face.

_Ok think! Think! _I willed myself to come up with something.

"Could you show me?" Aro asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity and greed.

I saw no way out, so I resigned myself, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I pictured myself as I once was, and when I heard Aro's surprised gasp, I knew I was done.

"Unbelievable!" he whispered, amazed by what he'd just bore witness to.

I sighed and avoided his gaze, all the while thinking of what was I going to say once the questions began.

"Oh dear Bella! I can't believe my eyes!" he exclaimed, "I admit I'd had my doubts when Kurt told me of this rare skill you had acquired, but when I went into your room and saw you like that… well, I guess now I can safely say there's no way I'm letting you out of my grasp my dear," he added.

I clenched my jaw, and continued to glare at the floor after sparing Aro a quick glance. The smile in his face would've been charming if not for the words that had just left his mouth.

_Now you've done it Bella, _I thought bitterly, _you can't take it back now._

I shivered in disgust as he lifted my chin with his forefinger and forced me to look into his eyes.

"How is this possible Bella?" he asked.

"I…" I racked my brain for an answer but found none I could give him.

"How can you do this, if you already have an ability, your shield?" he asked again, his voice had the slightest hint of impatience, but what he'd said suddenly gave me an idea.

I knew what to say now.

"It's an illusion," I murmured after a couple of seconds, sounding defeated. I had to play my part impeccably so he could buy the lie.

"And how, may I ask, did you acquire this new talent?" he demanded, taking his hand away from my face.

I sighed, adding a dramatic touch to my performance, "It's not new," I said, "I…" I hesitated, this was it, "I… I can create illusions… using my shield," I said, never breaking eye contact with Aro.

"Is that so?" Aro said, raising a skeptic eyebrow.

"I'll show you," I turned away from him and pointed to one of the paintings that hung upon the wall, "Keep your eyes on that painting,"

He did as I said and I concentrated hard. I felt the medallion drawing upon my energy; it was like loosing an infinitesimal portion of my life. I pushed the uncomfortable feeling aside and focused on the painting.

I pictured the canvas turning into a glass-like surface, and imagined the trees and grass, now static, swaying to a gentle breeze. The lake water now reflected the sun's light and the small family that sat by the dock was laughing and playing around.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aro reach out for the painting. Once he touched the surface he turned to me, his eyes wide, "It's still a canvas," he whispered.

"An illusion," I said, letting go of the power. The 'window' I'd created, was a painting again in no time.

"Ah, Bella!" Aro exclaimed, his arms wide open, "This is wonderful! Wonderful!" he repeated, "Imagine what we can accomplish with your gift! Maybe you'll learn to use it in a different way a few years from now," he smiled.

I forced myself to smile back. He'd bought it. He still didn't know anything about Daniel's medallion, or the power it held, and I'd be damned if I ever let him know. Who would've known I'd someday excel at lying. I could never lie to save my life back when I'd been human.

He shook his head as he approached me. "If your gift reached this level in a few decades, think about what you'll be able to do a century from now!" he carried on.

His words were like a blow to my stomach, leaving me with no air. They were a cold reminder of my fate.

I glanced at Aro.

_An eternity of this._

"I'm glad you decided to stay with us Bella," he told me.

I swallowed hard. _Think of the Cullens._

Pain filled memories filled my mind and I immediately regretted it.

"I'm glad as well," I said softly.

"Well dear," he said, putting his arm around me, "I don't know about you, but I think it's time for us to get this show on the road!" he laughed.

I felt the dread and fear for what was to come crawl their way back under my skin, and

I pretended to chuckle for his sake, as he led me away from the halls of my old prison, out of the castle, and into the night.

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**Alice POV**

The crowd that had gathered at the Plaza was very loud. It wouldn't stop cheering, nor whistling, even though nothing had happened yet. The lights coming from the stage a few yards in front of us gave everyone a purple glow, and the background music was soothing but exhilarating at the same time.

I looked around, nervous and drowning in anticipation. What was I going to say to Bella once we reached her? How was she going to react? Had she missed me? Why had she lied?

I felt Anna tense beside me and I followed her line of vision.

_Kurt_

_Oh God._

I glanced at the vampire beside me and noticed her blank expression. I still didn't know where she stood when it came to her brother. I was so curious to know more, but I hadn't dared ask anything to her after she'd revealed her secret to me, and I had a feeling she'd rather not talk about it.

I turned my gaze to our left. I saw other members of Kurt's coven. To our right I could see some of the Guard lurking in the shadows.

"Anna," I whispered lowly.

"I know," she whispered back, "They're all around us, but they haven't seen us yet. Let's remain inconspicuous, come on," she said, taking my hand and leading me to a group of teenagers.

"Hello there," Anna said in a flirtatious voice, as she went to stand close to one of the boys, earning a couple of jealous glares from the girls. The boy looked to be about nineteen, black hair, black eyes.

I could see what she was doing. She wanted to blend in with the crowd, but there was no way I was going to flirt with any of the human boys. For God sake, I was old enough to be their grandmother.

"Hey beautiful," the boy standing the closest to me said, as he attempted to put an arm around my waist. I acted quickly and grabbed his hand before it could reach its destination.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I have a boyfriend," no need to be rude right?

"Oh come on," the boy said, "He's not here now is he?" he persisted. I cast a quick glare at Anna and she just smiled and shrugged in response. I was going to kill her for this.

The human tried to touch my face then, and I took his hand and gave it a 'gentle' squeeze. "I believe you didn't hear me," I said, "I have a–"

But the words never left my mouth because just then Lizzie appeared on the stage and the people went nuts.

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	20. Chapter 20

**Hello guys!**

**I'm glad to be back sooner than expected! (I hope you are too!! :D) thank you for your reviews, they made me want to write faster! **

**I'm also very happy to see new reviewers!!! thank you for taking the time to write something!**

**And well just a word of advice, I highly recommend you guys to listen to the songs used in here so you can read along with them, it really helps to get the big picture! **

**Another thing, I know the second song is sung by a guy, but I just loved the lyrics and it fitted so well I had to use it, so bear with me please!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight nor any New Moon or Eclipse quotes (however small they may be) Stephenie Meyer does, also the three songs I used (Brick by Boring Brick, Starting Over, and Forever is Over) belong to their respective owners.

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**Bella POV**

I sneaked a peek at the large congregation of humans that had gathered at the Plaza. They were a good crowd, the show hadn't even started and they were already being so loud.

_Too bad they don't know what awaits them._

I felt a shiver run through my spine as I took a step away from the light.

_You brought them to their death._

I took a deep breath, and shut my eyes, guilt gnawing my insides.

_I have no choice,_ I countered.

_You're a murderer, _the voice inside my head lashed out, disregarding my response.

I closed my hand so tightly around the mike I held that it bent under the pressure.

The voice was right, even if I wasn't delivering the final blow, I was still as much part of this massacre as the Volturri were.

_You're doing this to save the Cullens, _I tried to comfort myself, but somehow that thought didn't make me feel any better. Who was I to choose who could live and who could not? What made the Cullens lives worth more than those of the humans?

_Nothing, _I found myself answering.

But I was selfish, and I didn't want my former family to die because of me, so I chose them over stranger's faces, people I would never know.

I let out a shaky breath, hating myself for what I was about to do.

I felt a hand squeeze my arm gently, "They were going to die anyways Bella," Demetri's soft whisper put a halt to my thoughts, "Whether you had agreed to do this or not," he added.

I turned to look at him, surprised that he'd say something like that. Back when I'd just joined the Guard, he had never displayed any kind of hostility towards me, but neither had he given me any reason to think we could be friends. He was just there. Sure we talked, but only when necessary, and that had been it.

So why was he doing this now?

"You know it's true," he continued, "Those humans are going to die tonight," he said with finality, "But just think how fortunate you are, to have the chance to save other lives despite your role in this," I was completely shocked at his words, and to see his gaze tinted with concern, but what shocked me the most were his brilliant topaz irises.

"Demetri," I whispered amazed, "You…your eyes…when?" I stuttered, "How?" I asked.

He gave a small smile and opened his mouth to answer, but before he could pronounce a single word Aro approached us and he let go of me and stood straight.

"My Lord," he bowed.

"Demetri," Aro replied with a slight nod; then he turned his attention to me.

"It's time dear," he said, handing me another mike, and taking the one I'd destroyed from my hands, "I would just suggest you change back, there's camera's out there, and I fear the older crowd might recognize you," he added as an afterthought.

Great. I didn't want Alice to see me like this, and now I didn't have to look for an excuse to change my appearance.

"As you wish," I bowed as I reached out for the power and felt the medallion's pull once again. I pushed it aside; I'd grown used to using this much energy and I no longer had a problem with it.

"I know. It's amazing isn't it?" I heard Aro say.

I frowned and turned my eyes to whatever he was looking at and found an openmouthed Demetri.

I let out a soft chuckle at his expression.

"Come on _Lizzie,_" Aro said as he stepped back, clearing the way, "It's time,"

I started forward, "Happy hunting," I muttered, my anger seeping through my voice.

He grinned in response, ignoring my sarcasm.

I made a small pause in my stride when I reached Demetri. I put my hand on his shoulder and looked straight into his eyes, so he could see the gratefulness and honesty in mine.

"Thank you," I said quietly, before taking my eyes away, and heading for the stage, my thoughts on both of my sisters.

I just really hoped Anna had enough common sense not to come here tonight.

Once I was in full view, the people in the Plaza went crazy and began to cheer. I felt the familiar rush that always came whenever I performed and I welcomed it with open arms. It made me feel free and careless. Whenever I sang, I'd get lost in my own world, and for a moment, I could allow myself to forget all my troubles; and tonight…

_Tonight I'm letting go_, I thought.

I put on my best smile and greeted the crowd in front of me, "Hello city of Volterra!" I exclaimed, "How's everybody doing tonight!"

Their response was incredibly loud and their voices rose above the ancient city.

"Wow guys," I said, "No one ever told you you're too loud?"

Their cheering just increased.

I smiled and let out a laugh, their enthusiasm was contagious, and I was already leaving my life and worries behind, I was becoming the girl on stage, the one that didn't care for anything but her music.

"Well then if you're ready," I said, "Let's get it going!"

Music exploded behind me and filled the night air, I felt myself moving in synch with it and started to sing, my worries and troubling thoughts forgotten.

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**Alice POV**

I could feel the excitement building up around me as Bella's strong confident voice filled my ears.

"She lives in a fairy tale, somewhere too far for us to find," she sang as she walked towards the front of the stage, "Forgotten the taste and smell, of a world that she's left behind…"

**It's all about the exposure, the lens, I told her**

**The angles are all wrong now**

**She's ripping wings off of butterflies**

I felt a hand grip my arm and I turned my head to find Anna inches away from me, the human boys forgotten.

"We gotta get moving," she hissed under her breath, pushing me forwards.

"What's going on?" I hissed back, as I avoided bumping into anyone.

**Keep your feet on the ground**

**When your head's in the clouds**

"They're moving in," she whispered close to my ear, "To your left side,"

My eyes shot to my left and narrowed at what they saw.

_The vampire that almost killed Jasper._

I clenched my fists, fury surging through my chest.

"Trevor," Anna's bitter voice was low.

**Well go get your shovel**

**And then we'll dig a deep hole**

**To bury the castle, bury the castle**

**Go get your shovel**

**And then we'll dig a deep hole**

**To bury the castle, bury the castle**

I watched as he approached a group of unsuspecting girls and I gasped.

_What was he doing?_

**Ba-da ba ba-da ba ba da**

"He's flirting with them,"

I looked at her puzzled; I guessed I'd spoken out loud without realizing it.

I was about to question further, but I noticed Anna was staring at Bella, her eyes sad. So I did the same and listen hard to what she was saying.

**So one day, he found her crying**

**Coiled up on the dirty ground**

**Her prince finally came to save her**

**And the rest you can figure out**

**But it was a trick**

**And the clock struck twelve, well make sure**

**To build your house brick by boring brick**

**Or the wolf's gonna blow it down**

_But it was a trick, _her voice resounded in my head, and I felt my heart constrict.

She was talking about Edward and his lies.

**Keep your feet on the ground**

**When your head's in the clouds**

_Oh Bella._

**Well go get your shovel**

**And then we'll dig a deep hole**

**To bury the castle, bury the castle**

**Go get your shovel**

**And then we'll dig a deep hole**

**We'll bury the castle, bury the castle**

**Well you built up a world of magic**

**Because your real life is tragic**

**Yeah you built up a world of magic**

I could see the pain in Bella's face and I felt myself frowning at her words. I wanted to comfort my friend, and make up for every day we weren't there for her.

**If it's not real**

**You can't hold it in your hand**

**You can't feel it with your heart**

**And I won't believe it**

**But if it's true**

**You can see it with your eyes**

**Oh, even in the dark**

**And that's where I want to be, yeah**

I averted my eyes from Bella, and noticed two more vampires socializing with a group of foreign kids.

I gasped as I realized what they were doing.

**Go get your shovel**

**And then we'll dig a deep hole**

**To bury the castle, bury the castle**

Anna followed my gaze and sighed, "That's the way they do it," she said, "The next step is an invitation to a private tour around the castle, the oldest part of the city, or wherever they feel like going," her voice was monotonous, but I could still see the anger that lay beneath her cool façade.

**Go get your shovel**

**And then we'll dig a deep hole**

**To bury the castle, bury the castle**

"Come on Alice," Anna prompted me, "We got to keep moving if we want the slightest chance of staying undetected,"

**Ba-da ba ba-da ba ba da**

**Ba-da ba ba ba-da ba ba**

I nodded and started forward, closer to the stage.

**Ba-da ba ba-da ba ba da**

**Ba-da ba ba ba ba-ba ba ba**

Closer to my lost sister.

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**Bella POV**

The people beneath me were going on in a riot and I fueled it as I sang, again and again, song after song. All the while thinking if I was ready to share the one I wrote for Edward, back before I met Jason.

I couldn't think of a good enough reason not to so…

"All right everyone!" I called for the public's attention, "Is everybody having a good time?" I asked.

They all roared their yes.

I smiled, "Well, that's good to know! But listen you guys, I'm going to tune it down a little," I said, and they grew quiet.

"This next song, I wrote a while back," I continued, "And it's for the boy who broke my heart. No one's ever listened to it before, but I hope you enjoy it," I said.

I turned my head back and found Demetri watching me, guitar in hand, I nodded to him and he signaled the rest of the guys. I was glad I'd given them the score for this song before the show.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Before long, I heard Demetri's guitar, and took my cue to begin, "Someday soon, I'm gonna pull myself together, win or lose, I'm starting over again…"

I opened my eyes, and let the music fill my mind.

**Start this day,**

**Like any other day,**

**Fold my hands,**

**As I begin to pray,**

**Sometimes we,**

**Gotta throw the past aside,**

I felt my heart break all over again as the words left my mouth.

**Come what may,**

**I'm gonna open up my eyes,**

**To all my broken feelings,**

**It's the only road I've known,**

**I just wanna say to you…**

**Maybe I wont feel the pain,**

**When you leave me one day,**

_I don't want you to come with me._

**Maybe it wont be too late,**

**When you need me someday,**

_You don't… want…me?_

**Someone take me away from the one who betrays,**

**Things wont ever be the same,**

**I'm starting over…**

I winced internally, as memories of my life after he left flowed back into my head. A wave of sorrow washed over me as I thought of all the pain I'd gone through, not knowing it was only the beginning.

**In days gone by, I was hiding from myself,**

**In all those lies, and the truth was hard to tell,**

**But I will try, to turn my life around,**

**I'll close my eyes so I can finally see…**

**The road to all my broken feelings,**

**It's the only one I've known,**

My eyes scanned the crowd, and even though I should've been expecting it.

**I just wanna say to you…**

I froze at what I saw.

_Alice._

But she wasn't looking at me; she was staring openmouthed at something far from her, to her right.

My gaze swept the area and my breath got caught up in my throat. I could barely hear Demetri going into an improvised bridge to cover up for me, for there standing amidst the humans, with Sabrina and Jasper by his side, stood Edward.

He stared at me for a few seconds before grimacing and pinching the bridge of his nose, like he always did when someone's thoughts were annoying him.

_Thoughts._

I snapped from my stupor, hurriedly pushed away my anxiety and every thought concerning the Cullens, and put up a shield around every vampire in the plaza, except for the Cullens minus Alice, I wasn't taking my chances.

"I'm okay now," I whispered, just loud enough for Demetri to hear me.

I listened to the familiar chords and knew exactly when to come in, I'd have to thank Demetri later.

**Maybe I wont feel the pain,**

**When you leave me one day,**

**Maybe it wont be too late,**

**When you need me someday,**

I shot Edward a glance before I closed my eyes once again.

**Someone take me away from the one who betrays,**

**Things wont ever be the same…**

And with renewed strength and raw feelings about to burst out of my chest, I sang with everything I had.

**You were my heart,**

**You were my soul,**

**You were my breath,**

**Til I grow old,**

**You were my blood,**

**You were my bones,**

**How could you ever leave me alone,**

I opened up my eyes and found Edward's boring into mine, his expression unreadable. I wanted so bad to look away, but a small part of me wanted to stay that way forever.

**Maybe I wont feel the pain,**

**When you leave me one day,**

I turned my back on him and walked to the other side of the platform, taking a look at Alice.

**Maybe it wont be too late,**

**When you need me someday,**

Her expression was torn, and her eyes were filled with sorrow and, joy?

**Someone take me away from the one who betrays,**

She looked ready to jump up the stage.

**Things wont ever be the same…**

**I just wanna say to you…**

**Maybe I wont feel the pain,**

**When you leave me one day,**

**Maybe it wont be too late,**

**When you need me someday,**

**Someone take me away from the one who betrays,**

"Things wont ever be the same…" the song came to an end and the crowd went crazy.

I risked a glance in Anna's direction, and she met my gaze.

_She knows, _she mouthed.

My eyes grew wide and my breathing accelerated.

_I'm sorry, _she added.

_Oh God._

I took a shaky breath and put on my poker face as I tried to ignore the Cullens, I'd just seen Rosalie and Emmett a few yards behind Alice, and Carlisle and Esme were making their way towards Edward. I was surprised no one had seen them yet.

"So…I take it you liked it then?" I asked out loud.

Cheers.

"Thank you guys!" I grinned, "I'm glad I got that out, it was very…refreshing," I said. "And I have to say I was very happy to be here with you all, but I'm sad to tell you I gotta get going,"

A chorus of 'no's' exploded.

"Don't worry though, I still have one more song for you!" I said, having come up with an idea.

I wasn't sure how much had Edward _heard _tonight, or even if he _had_ heard anything at all. But just in case he'd gathered enough information to piece everything together, and just in case of the infinitesimal possibility that what he'd said to me all those years ago had been all lies– I winced– and he still loved me; I had to destroy any kind of hope that might still exist for us, even if I hadn't figured out exactly what my leftover feelings for him were.

For his own good as well as mine.

For even if I did forgive him, which I hadn't. I still had Aro to worry about. Things were complicated enough as they were.

"Forever is over," I said under my breath.

"Got it," Demetri said.

I heard the soft melody start to play and I addressed the humans in front of me, purposefully not looking at the Cullens nor any other vampire for that matter, "All right people, this is my goodbye to you, thank you for coming here tonight!" But then thinking of the dark fate that awaited some after this I added, "And all of you couples out there, hold on tight to your love, and tell them how much you love them!"

That being said, I took a breath and began to sing.

Alice POV

"She knows you know," Anna said, never taking her eyes off Bella.

"I know,"

I shook my head, dazed.

I couldn't forget the look of fear and shock that crossed Bella's face when she found out I knew her secret. I wanted to reassure her, to tell her everything would be okay. But I couldn't, because once again my visions had been rendered useless. After the initial shock of seeing my family here had vanished, I tried searching for our future, and was terrified to see only a black void where our lives should've been.

I sighed as Bella addressed the crowd, and soft music began to play.

_What on earth was my family doing here?_

I was dying to go to Jasper and tell him I was sorry, but Anna had stopped me before I even stepped in his direction.

"You can't" she had said, "It'll only make things worse if they find us all together,"

I had been reluctant to admit it but she was right.

We couldn't afford to get caught, let alone get caught with everyone else in tow.

I sighed again and turned my attention back to Bella.

"I was caught in a place far away from the light," her soft voice rose above everybody else's. "What I saw, I couldn't face, so I closed my eyes…"

**Wish I could turn back the page **

**Re-write my point of view **

**Save all the time you waste (got to get gone, gone) **

**Don't let it escalade **

**Don't fight, it's just no use **

**There's nothing left to say **

**Got to get gone, gone, gone **

She glanced at Edward, and he met her penetrating gaze.

**Forever is over **

**And my hearts not gonna fight **

**Forever is over **

**And I'm no longer afraid **

**Cuz if I don't get out now **

**I may never escape **

**Your power is fading away and **

I silently watched as she moved across the stage, dancing in perfect synch with the music.

**I'm getting so stuck to the place **

**I belong **

I risked glancing at Edward and wondered if Bella really meant what she was saying. I didn't know what my family was doing here, but if he'd somehow discovered the truth, I was sure Bella's words must be cutting deep.

**Forever is over **

**Over, over, over, over, over **

**I don't want you to tell me **

**You found someone **

Her eyes flashed to Sabrina.

**Cuz I got no distance left to run **

**Wish I could turn back the page **

**Re-write my point of view **

_Did she regret meeting us?_

**Save all the time you waste (got to get gone, gone) **

**Don't let it escalade **

She had a pained look on her face, and I knew that it hurt her to say those things. But, were these lyrics true to her feelings?

**Don't fight, it's just no use **

**There's nothing left to say **

**Got to get gone, gone, gone **

**Forever is over **

**And my hearts not gonna fight **

**Forever is over **

**And I'm no longer afraid **

**Cuz if I don't get out now **

**I may never escape **

**Your power is fading away and **

**I'm getting so stuck to the place **

**I belong **

**Forever is over **

**Over, over, over, over, over **

**I'm on the other side **

**And now I realize **

**I'm in paradise **

Her eyes darted to Edward and then back to the crowd.

**Coz you're out my life **

_She's not giving him a second chance_, I thought dismayed.

**Forever is over **

**And my hearts not gonna fight **

_She's giving up, _my mind screamed.

**Forever is over **

**And I'm no longer afraid **

**Cuz if I don't get out now **

**I may never escape **

I had to talk to her!

**Your power is fading away and **

**I'm getting so stuck to the place **

**I belong **

**Forever is over **

**Over, over, over, over, over **

"Forever is over…" she finished, turning her head sideways.

"Thank you all!" Bella exclaimed, before walking off the stage, not once glancing in our direction.

I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't help it, "Lizzie, wait!" I called after her.

Not even a second later Anna had me gripped by the shoulders, and was dragging me to an alley near backstage "What the hell do you think you're doing!" she hissed, "Someone was bound to–"

"Well hello, hello there young sis," a mocking voice interrupted her.

I noticed how she immediately stiffened and moved her body so she was standing between Kurt and I.

"You're no brother of mine," she replied, flatly.

"Oh please Anna," he smiled, "Don't tell me you're still mad about what happened all those years ago. You have to let it go someday you know,"

She stayed silent.

"Ah! All right then," he said, "I just need you to answer some questions for me, you know, normal procedure," he chuckled under his breath before starting.

"What's the reason for you being in Volterra?" he demanded.

"None of your business," came Anna's curt reply.

He made a face, "Mm, maybe Alice will be more cooperative?" he mused, taking a step forward.

Anna stepped up to block his path, "You stay away from her," she said, in a threatening voice.

"Or else?" Kurt challenged her, standing upright, a soft glow emanating from his hands.

She let out a low growl and I felt the temperature around us drop, all our breaths came out in small visible puffs.

Kurt's eyebrows shot up, "You're no match for me sis," he said, his voice deep.

"We'll see about that," she shot back and crouched, ready to spring forward.

I grew nervous with the turn this situation was taking, I didn't want Anna risking her life for me, "Anna," I whispered putting my hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes turned to me for a second and Kurt took his chance, he ignited his hands and lunged for Anna just as she realized what was happening. I could tell she was going to try and get us out of the way, but she wasn't going to make it, we weren't fast enough and there wasn't enough time.

Just when I thought we were goners, a figure wrapped in a black coat collided with Kurt in midair and they both rolled onto the pavement. Kurt ended up on top and he let put a furious snarl as he threw a punch, leaving a huge dent on the ground as the vampire beneath him evaded it. Our savior kicked him off and Kurt landed a few feet away.

They both stood and faced each other.

"Alice!" I heard Jasper worried voice calling out to me.

"Jasper," I said breathlessly as he wrapped his arms around me. Everyone else was already here as well. I heard a deep sigh and out of the corner of my eye I could see Anna's resigned expression.

From Jasper's arms I could see Kurt trembling with anger, but also the disbelieving look in his crimson eyes as he regarded us, the cloaked figure forgotten.

"Alice," Jasper said, "Honey, are you–"

"Why the_ hell_ didn't you tell me of this?" Kurt's angry outburst interrupted him.

It took me a second to see he was talking to Sabrina.

She looked taken aback for a moment before she snapped, "Well how was I supposed to when _he_" she pointed at Jasper, "Wouldn't let me out of his sight!" she hissed.

_Oh my God._

_She just blew her cover._

"What!" Edward exclaimed

Jasper snickered, "I knew you were up to something the moment you didn't come right back into the house after his coven left," he pointed at Kurt.

Sabrina threw him a murderous glare.

"Wait, what's going on here?" Emmett's voice rang out, "Can somebody explain?" he asked frustrated.

Kurt growled, he was seething as he turned to the mysterious vampire, "You ruined everything!" he spat, "If it wasn't for you I'd already _have her_!" he pointed a shaky finger toward me.

I gasped, _he wanted me?_

"Over my pile of ashes," came a cold, familiar female voice.

_Bella?_

"Well, that can be arranged," Kurt forced a smile as he made for her and pushed her into the wall, the force of the impact destroyed it and her hood dropped.

Elizabeth.

He raised a hand engulfed in flames and attempted to backslap her, but she was faster than him and took his wrist, twisting his arm and trading places with him.

Now it was Kurt pinned against the wall.

He struggled against her grasp with no use, and then,

"That's enough," a voice ringed with authority came from the back of the alley.

Bella immediately let go of Kurt and they both straightened themselves.

A vampire that had an air of royalty from the way he carried himself, stepped out of the shadows and regarded Kurt and Bella with a disappointed look.

"Aro," I heard Edward whisper.

_So this was the leader of the Volturri,_ I thought.

"I thought you two would know better," he said and they both bowed their heads. He turned to us then, the glint in his crimson irises sent shivers down my spine as I remembered Bella's words.

"_Oh Carlisle," Lizzie began, almost pitifully, "You have no idea, of the way he talks about your family," _

"_Especially about Alice and Edward, like they're two of the most prized possessions he could ever hope to have," she said, looking at us with worried eyes._

I swallowed my fear as I pushed those thoughts away and tried to make eye contact with Bella but she was staring intently at the ground.

"Carlisle, old friend," Aro started, a charming smile upon his face, "Welcome to Volterra,"

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**Sooooooo.... what do you guys think??**

**Thanks for reading!!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey Guys! **

**I really liked this chapter and I hope you do too!!**

**please tell me what you think!!**

**thank you for all of your reviews guys they really make me want to write faster for you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight nor any New Moon quote, Stephenie Meyer does!

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**Alice POV**

My eyes wandered over to Carlisle as he struggled with his response. When he finally composed himself, he had a polite smile on his face.

"Thank you Aro," he said, taking a step closer to him, "For this uh," his eyes flashed to Elizabeth and Kurt, "Eventful welcome," he made it sound like a question.

Aro's eyes too darted to the pair and back again, before letting out a laugh, "Oh don't worry about them Carlisle," he said, waving a careless hand, "Those two have been holding onto a grudge for too long," he added, "They should know better by now though, that's no way to treat our guests," he gazed at them sternly.

"My apologies, my Lord," Kurt bowed his head low, whereas Lizzie held Aro's gaze, and stayed silent.

The ruler just raised an eyebrow in response and chuckled lightly.

Carlisle and the rest of my family regarded this exchange with interest. We had never heard of anyone behaving that way towards one of the brothers, and I was sincerely surprised to see Bella standing up to him like that.

_Where's my shy, clumsy sister?_ I found myself asking.

_Gone._

"I believe introductions are in order," Aro's voice brought me back to reality. Only then did I notice several vampires had joined us in the dark alley. I felt Jasper's arms tighten around me.

"That's Demetri," he gestured towards the vampire who'd come to stand beside Bella and had a comforting hand on the small of her back.

I frowned, _could he be the friend that helped her escape all those years ago?_

"He's the only one here besides Elizabeth, whom you already know, that follows your peculiar diet my friend," Aro said, throwing Carlisle a small smirk, "Maybe you'd like to talk about your choice later on?" he added, raising his eyebrows in expectation.

"It would be my pleasure," said Carlisle, addressing Demetri, who just nodded politely.

"Good, good!" Aro exclaimed, "You already know the Connolly siblings, Kurt, Anna, " he said, and a few gasps escaped my family as he gestured to both vampires, before moving on to the next, positioned behind him.

"This is Felix," he said, "And these two over here are Jane and Alec," he pointed to the two child like vampires standing closest to us.

Suddenly the girl's eyes flew in my direction and Edward, who'd noticed this small movement, tensed and called out to me in a worried voice, "Alice!"

I became scared at his reaction, but Jane only frowned deeply, before turning to glare at Bella.

"Do I have something on my face Jane?" she asked calmly.

"You little–"

"Easy Jane," Aro interjected, "No harm will come to the Cullens while they're here," he said, never once taking his eyes off Bella's hard ones.

_What did just happen? _

I turned to look at Edward, willing him to answer a question he couldn't hear. I'd already figured Bella had a shield around my mind, since Edward hadn't tried to rip my head off my shoulders yet. I wondered if he'd try it once he learned the truth about Elizabeth. Because at least for now I was sure he didn't know anything.

I was about to call Edward's attention, but it was Aro who answered my question.

"Please excuse Jane, my friends," he started, "She has the power to make you think you are experiencing certain amount of…pain," he said, "It's not the real thing of course, just an illusion but still…" he trailed off. "Anyways, she gets a little carried away sometimes and likes to try it on someone different every once in a while," he said chuckling.

I stared at him, slightly openmouthed. How could he say those words in such a cheerful manner?

"But don't worry," he went on, "You were never in any sort of danger, Elizabeth here's protecting all of our minds from any kind of mental assault for now," he said walking to stand behind her, and putting both of his hands on her shoulders. Both Kurt and Demetri took a step back. "Enjoying the silence Edward?" he smiled.

"Yes," he answered stiffly, "Thank you, Aro,"

"Oh Edward I assure you this works both ways!" he exclaimed, leaving Bella's side to stop in front of him. Aro stretched out his hand, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said as Edward shook it.

He then turned to Carlisle, "Now old friend, will you introduce me to the rest of your family?" he asked.

Carlisle nodded and motioned for Esme to come forwards, "This is my wife, Esme," he said wrapping an arm around her, and stepping aside to pin point the rest of us, "These two here are Emmett and Rosalie, and then there's Jasper and Alice," Aro shook all of our hands and then stopped when he came to Sabrina.

"And I think you already know Sabrina," Carlisle finished.

He nodded, but made no move to touch her.

Anna's voice filled my mind then.

"_Aro doesn't touch Kurt," she replied curtly, "Or any member of his coven for that matter."_

_So she's with Kurt, but not with the Volturri_, I thought.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you Sabrina," Aro said, "But I feel I must thank you dear, for if it wasn't for you, we would've never found Elizabeth again," he said, while shooting Bella a quick glance, "So thank you for giving Kurt the heads up, and returning not only our Elizabeth home but Anna as well, they had been sorely missed," he added.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Bella closing her eyes and clenching her fists, trying to level out her anger by taking deep breaths. I looked up to Jasper and saw him watching Elizabeth with a frown upon his face.

Before Sabrina could answer Aro, Edward spoke up.

"How come I never heard anything from you?" he demanded, stepping closer to Sabrina, "I admit I've avoided looking into everyone's thoughts ever since–" he stopped himself and swallowed, "A while ago," he said, "But I think I would've heard something about this, so how did you hide it from me?" he demanded again.

By now everyone, including Bella was staring intently at Sabrina, waiting for her answer.

She turned to him and grinned, "Years of practice Eddie," was her only reply, before bowing to Aro, and taking her place beside Kurt.

"Well!" Aro clapped his hands together, "Now that we all know each other, why don't we step inside the castle," he said, "I really hope you'll stay at least for a couple of days Carlisle, we have plenty of room for you and your family here and then maybe you can tell me how did you end up here in the first place," he said.

_Stay?_ I thought.

I eyed Bella and she looked dismayed, but quickly recovered.

"Thank you my friend," Carlisle said, "Your offer's very kind of you,"

"Nonsense Carlisle!" Aro exclaimed giving him a friendly slap on the back and leading him away, the rest following, "I've missed talking with you, this is merely me being selfish," he said.

And judging by the dark shadow that crossed Bella's features, I had a strong feeling he was telling the truth.

* * *

We had reached the castle of the Volturri and still, all my efforts to approach Bella had been useless. Every time I tried to step closer to her, Demetri had barred my way, and I hadn't dared to call out her name and make it clear to everyone else I wanted to talk to her.

"Elizabeth dear," Aro called out, "Would you mind showing the Cullen children to their chambers while my brothers and I have nice chat with Carlisle and Esme, the East Wing?" he asked in a kind tone.

"Sure," she said, "Let's go," she motioned for us to follow her, Anna and Demetri, the rest of the Guard, including Sabrina, stayed behind.

"Oh and, Elizabeth?"

She stopped but didn't look back, "Yes?"

"Don't wander off too far from the castle will you?" he said, "It would be a shame to loose you again, especially when we just got you back, right?" he added, his face was kind, but his eyes and undertone held a silent threat that I was sure no one but her was supposed to understand.

"Of course Aro," she said in a soft voice despite the fact that her body had stiffened, "That would be awful indeed," she coincided before walking away.

The tension present in the air all the way up to the East Wing was so dense I was sure it could've been cut with a knife if we'd tried. No one had dared to say anything and Jasper kept throwing me confused looks because of my conflicting emotions. I was scared of what was to come, but I was also overjoyed and anxious beyond belief to get Bella on her own and finally talk to her.

Once we reached the end of a hallway with four doors, two on each side she turned to us.

"Here we are," she said in an emotionless voice, "If you need anything just call out for help, someone will be with you shortly,"

Just as she was about to leave Edward's hand shot forward and grasped her wrist.

"Don't touch me Edward," she said in a low voice.

"I'm not letting go until you answer my questions," he hissed.

Demetri growled in response and started forward, but was stopped by Lizzie's voice.

"Demetri, don't," she said, looking at him, "Just go, I'll talk with you later,"

"But–"

"Go, please," she said.

He let out a deep breath, nodded and left, but not before glaring furiously at Edward.

"What do you want Edward?" she said, her face betraying nothing.

"What were pictures of Isabella Swan doing among your belongings?" he asked, going straight to the point. I watched as her eyes grew wide before she could control her surprise. "Don't try to deny it, because we all saw them," he said in a deadly voice.

"Is this what this is all about?" she asked him, a look of disbelief written all over her face.

"What do you mean?" asked Edward through clenched teeth.

"You came all the way to Volterra, and risked all their lives," she said nodding at us, "For some pictures of your ex? My God you're pathetic!" she exclaimed.

Edward growled and was about to rebut but Rosalie beat him to the punch.

"We all agreed to come here," she said narrowing her eyes at Bella, "We all cared for that girl, you know it, and all we want to know, is if you knew her, and what was your relationship with her,"

She stayed silent and turned her gaze towards me. But I had to close my eyes; for it was the only thing I could do to stop myself from throwing my arms around her.

"Answer us!" Edward snarled, as he grew impatient, jerking Bella towards him. His face was inches away from hers now.

I had to stop this.

"Edward," I started.

"Stay out of if Alice," Bella said in a soft voice, never breaking eye contact with Edward.

"Elizabeth," Edward hissed, "We're waiting,"

"Let go of me," she said in a calm voice.

"No,"

"Let go of me," she repeated, marking each word.

"No," Edward said again, this time gripping her wrist with more force than necessary, "You're hiding something, and you're telling me what it is,"

"Let go," she said, more forcefully.

"You know something about Bella. I need to know what it is!" he exclaimed, jerking her once again.

"I said," Bella hissed, "Let _go_!" she raised her voice and her hand grew bright. Edward yelped in pain and immediately let go, as if he'd been burned.

We all took a step back while Anna put a hand on Bella's shoulder in an attempt to cool her down.

"Wha– what?" Edward stuttered.

"You want to know something about Bella Swan?" Bella snarled, "_I'll _tell you something about Bella Swan! She was a total _wreck_ after you left her!" she growled with such venom, that Edward took a step back, suddenly frightened.

"You…you kne–"

"_Yes!_" she hissed narrowing her eyes at him, "I knew her, I knew her very well, Edward," she said, her fists trembling.

I grew more anxious than ever as my eyes darted from Elizabeth's shaking form to Edward's frozen one.

_What are you doing Bella? _I thought.

"You know what _Eddie? _I've been meaning to ask you," she started her voice curious but controlled, "Was it your real intention to completely and utterly destroy her? Because if it was I have to congratulate you, 'cause you certainly did!" she exclaimed, anger coating her last words.

"No," Edward shook his head, his expression torn. "No, no, no! I told you I left to protect her!" his voice was filled with anguish.

"I think we all know what good it did to her," she shot back.

"She was supposed to be happy, she was human, she was supposed to forget me," he said weakly, his eyes unfocused.

"How could she, Edward?" Bella asked, "After everything you told her in that forest?"

"How do you know about that?" he asked suddenly alert.

_What is she talking about?_ I thought.

"I told you I knew her,"

"You know nothing," Edward said.

"Bella, we're leaving" Bella began.

Edward shook his head, "No,"

"Bella, I don't want you to come with me," she continued coldly.

"No, I–"

"You…don't…want me?" pain was evident in her voice.

Edward lifted his gaze and their eyes met briefly, "No," they both whispered.

_What's going on?_

"Edward," I started, but he just remained standing where he was, staring unseeingly at the ground, so I turned my eyes to Bella.

She was looking at Edward, her expression unreadable.

"Does it hurt Edward?" she asked, "To think about her face as you said those words?" she shook her head slowly, "You broke her beyond repair," she said, so quietly, I almost didn't hear her.

All of a sudden, everything clicked into place.

"You did _what_!" I exclaimed, staring at Edward in disbelief.

"I had to do it," he said brokenly, "It was the only way she'd move on,"

"So you lied to her?" I carried on, walking up to him, "You told me you had told her the truth! That we were leaving to protect her! That's the _only_ reason I agreed with your _stupid_ idea and left without saying goodbye!" Uncontrollable fury was swelling up my chest. "You made us leave for nothing!" I growled. "_I told you_ _she wouldn't be okay!_"

I could barely refrain myself from lunging at him and giving him a piece of my mind. I knew he'd been hurting and I know he'd been broken too, but he had no right to do what he did.

"I had to do something Alice!" he fired back, standing straight, "I couldn't let her be torn apart by our world!" he hissed, his eyes full of unyielding pain.

"But she was," Bella said calmly, making me swallow the words that were about to leave my mouth, Jasper then took the chance to take me in his arms and away from Edward.

"What do you mean she was?" it was Emmett, his voice was so low, that I wouldn't have thought it was him if I hadn't been there. His features were tainted with a terrible sadness, and his eyes were burning with anger at Edward. He had come to love Bella too.

"It was vampire's who ended Bella Swan's life," she said in a detached voice.

"What?" gasped Rosalie.

"You told us there'd been no trace of vampires in that clearing!" Edward rounded on me.

"Now don't you _dare_ make this about me! And no, I told you the rain had washed away any scent that could've been there," I argued back.

"Then what about the uprooted trees?" Edward continued, the words coming out fast.

I shrugged and Bella answered for me, "Werewolves," she said.

"Werewolves," Edward repeated.

"Yes," she swallowed hard, "The La Push werewolves came to save Bella, but they were too late," she said, "They killed the Frenchman and the redhead,"

"Laurent, Victoria," Jasper and Emmett respectively whispered.

"But not before they'd finished what you started Edward," her voice was hard and cold. "She was so scared, alone and afraid, an easy prey for vampires…so mouthwatering," she went on.

"Stop,"

"They broke her right knee first, and then Victoria threw her onto a tree, just like a rag doll,"

"Stop,"

I watched as Bella kept describing everything those two did to her, how they took blood from her, how they kicked punched and bit repeatedly injecting and sucking out the venom. And with every word that left her mouth I could feel my heart slowly breaking. I couldn't help it anymore and I took a step forward meaning to hug and comfort her.

But Anna shot me a warning look and I used all my strength to stay rooted to my place.

"How do you know all this?" Edward hissed at Bella.

"I was there,"

"Why didn't you do something then?" he demanded accusingly, "Why didn't you save her?"

Her eyes blurred for a second before she said, "I wasn't strong enough,"

_Oh Bella…_

"Victoria wanted her to suffer the way she had," she continued before Edward could say anything else, "And she knew you had left Edward, so she told her she'd change her, so she could go on for eternity without the one she loved,"

I could see Edward's eyes blazing with anger, self-loathing and sorrow, but I could also see a spark of hope.

I turned to Bella, _was she really telling him the truth?_

"She's alive?" Edward asked.

"The wolves came and stopped her before she could bite her again. By then it was already too late to save Bella Swan's life," she lifted her gaze to look at Edward straight in the eye, "She's dead Edward…_you_ killed her," she finished, her expression unfathomable.

Edward growled furiously and lunged himself at Bella, only to be stopped by Jasper and Emmett.

Bella just stood there watching him, not saying a word. Then Anna whispered something to her ear and she excused herself.

"I'm sorry if I caused you some distress," she said, "But I must be going, I need some fresh air," she added, turning her back on us and going back the way we came, not even sparing me a glance. It was as though she couldn't…didn't want to look at me.

"Some distress? _Some distress?"_ Rosalie hissed, "You had _no right_ to open up those wounds like you did! You've only brought this family more suffering!"

Bella stopped and looked back, "You wanted answers, I gave them to you," she said, "If this is all you wanted, you might do well to leave Volterra while you still can," she said in a monotonous voice.

She turned her back on us again but this time however our eyes locked and I could see the storm raging inside of her, before she walked away.

I watched as my husband, Emmett and Rosalie dragged a snarling Edward into one of the rooms and made my decision. I would follow Bella and Anna, and finally get _my _answers.

* * *

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	22. Chapter 22

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**You know I feel like a broken record for saying this again but, it's true so I'll say it anyways...I'm so sorry for the extremely long wait, believe me when I say I wanted to update but I could find no time to write, I've sleeping from three to five hours for the last three weeks, final projects have been killing me, but anyways the good news is I'm back with a new chapter and I hope you enjoy it!**

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**Alice POV**

I looked back at the black door that stood between my siblings, husband and I one last time before I forced myself to ignore the snarls and growls coming from the room, and took after Bella.

The rage and fury that had built up inside of me as Bella and Edward's confrontation escalated and took a turn for the worst was back again with a vengeance. I heard Edward's furious snarls and I couldn't help the growl that escaped me. I knew he was hurt and that he was suffering, but so was Bella, and even if it wasn't exactly fair, I blamed this all on him.

How dare he lie and break her heart like that? No wonder why she had reacted the way she did the first time she saw us.

I pushed my legs to go faster. Willing myself to be somewhat calm and collected, and to focus only on my goal.

Reaching Bella.

It was easier said than done. I was finding it to hard to forget the images my mind had conjured up as Bella described her death, and with every bone I heard cracking underneath the pressure, and every agonizing scream I imagined coming out of my best friend's mouth as the fire burned through her, the anger inside of me blazed with renewed strength.

I clenched my hands tightly into fists as they started to shake uncontrollably. I stopped myself from walking for a moment to close my eyes and fight down the urge to growl again and break something. There were no valuable items along the hallway that continued to stretch before me, only walls, and somehow, I knew Aro wouldn't appreciate me punching a hole through one of them, no matter how much he wanted me.

I tensed, and my head immediately shot to my left as I heard footsteps coming my way.

_Damn it,_ I thought.

"What do you think is gonna happen now that she's back?" I heard a male voice say.

A huff was the only response it got.

"Oh come on," the voice insisted as it grew closer, "You think he'll do it now? We've been waiting for so long, I–"

"Shut it William!" another male voice hissed. One I could barely recognize.

It was Trevor's.

Inexistent blood seemed to boil in my veins at the mere sound of his voice. The memory of Jasper laying at his mercy was still fresh in my mind, and my hate for him came to life the second I heard him. I didn't know how I was going to handle seeing Trevor standing before me. Because no matter what I did, there was nowhere to hide, and our paths crossing was something inevitable.

I could see them now, rounding the corner and heading my way.

"But Trevor," William whispered, "it's true!"

"And all that waiting will be for nothing if Aro–" Trevor stopped in mid-speech, he'd just noticed I was standing a couple of feet away from him.

"Good evening, gentlemen," I managed to say politely, a forced smile plastered on my face.

"What are you doing here?" he said narrowing his eyes at me. "I thought _Elizabeth,_ was supposed to take you to your chambers?" he said sneering her name.

His jab at Bella only made it harder to rein in my feelings, but I chose to ignore his tone and replied as calmly as I could, "Oh, she did, I'm just wandering the hallways, taking a look around. You know it's not everyday you get to stay the night in here," I smiled.

"You know," he said approaching me until his face was close to mine, "I don't know why," he whispered, "But I don't believe you,"

"Well that's too bad, isn't it?" I shrugged, meeting his eyes with my unwavering gaze.

A low rumble came from his chest and I glared at him.

"What's going on in here?" came a girl's voice, somewhere on my left. Trevor immediately backed off and we both turned to the source.

"It's nothing Jane," he said.

"It better be nothing," she said, in a threatening childlike voice, raising one perfect eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he said carelessly, waving away her threat with his hand.

I watched closely as Jane glared at Trevor and I half expected him to collapse, writhing in pain, before I remembered Bella had a shield around every vampire in here.

Jane seemed to have forgotten though, because once she noticed nothing had happened, she let out a hiss.

"I think we'll take our leave then," Trevor smirked at her, "Come on William," he called the other vampire before addressing me again, "I hope you enjoy your self-guided tour around the castle, Alice," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Why, thank you," I replied casually, "I'm sure I will," I added as he and William walked away, leaving a seething Jane behind.

I let out a small sigh. I knew that with Bella's shield wrapped around me, Jane posed no potential threat. But even if I was relatively safe and she had inadvertently stopped Trevor from doing whatever he intended to do, I still wanted to put some distance between her and myself. So I turned around to continue my way. I had already lost too much time, who knew how much distance had Bella covered while I was having these pleasant conversations?

However, Jane's voice stopped me in my tracks and sent a shiver down my spine.

"She won't be able to protect you forever you know?" the certainty in her voice was almost palpable, and it scared me, did she know something about Bella, that I didn't?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said without turning to face her.

"Oh you know exactly what I'm talking about," she continued making her way to my side, "Because you're the only one who knows the truth about Isabella," she said quietly to my ear, as if afraid someone would hear her.

"What?" I gasped, shocked that she was talking to me about Bella.

"Oh don't play the fool Alice," she said, a devious smile on her face, "It doesn't suit you," she added.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked her, I needed to start fishing out for information if I wanted to break Bella out of the Volturi's grasp.

"What? About Isabella? I just thought I'd give you a fair warning, and inform you where we both stand, you and I," she started, "I mean, we're not even allowed to say that name out loud now that you're here– Aro's orders– but you already now she's here, so, why not?"

I frowned _how did she know I knew?_

Jane seemed to know what I was thinking because she snorted mockingly, "Please Alice, unlike others, I do pay attention to people's expressions, I find it very easy to read them once you notice those little things, like the glint in someone's eyes whenever they see someone special, or the occasional clenched jaw at an unpleasant thought," she said walking around me, "You couldn't keep your eyes off Isabella, all the way from the Piazza," she continued, "And she just wouldn't look at you, though I could see the effort it was costing her. One look at your mate's confused expression was all I needed to confirm my suspicions," she finished, her gaze calculating, analyzing my reaction to her words.

She was right, I had been looking at Bella all the way to the Palazzo dei Priori, and no matter how long I stared, she wouldn't acknowledge me. And Jasper, well Jane knew about Jasper's ability, and he'd been confused at my overriding emotions, and no doubt Bella's too.

I had underestimated her, wrongly so.

Saving Bella was becoming more difficult with each passing moment. Now that Jane knew I was aware of Bella's façade, she would expect me to try and break her free.

This was her warning to me.

She seemed pleased that I appeared to have understood, and she stepped away from me, smiling sweetly.

Our conversation was coming to an end, so I hurried.

"What did you mean when you said she won't be able to protect us?" I risked asking.

She chuckled, "No vampire is indestructible, Alice," she said, "And Bella's ability, as you'll undoubtedly learn soon enough…it has it's limits too, but you should ask her about that yourself," she took another step back, clearing the path, "I won't stand in your way," she smiled once more and turned her small back on me.

I stood there motionless, trying to process what she'd just said. I felt my stomach twist into a tight knot as her words echoed inside my head. She was letting me go and rendezvous with my sister; and I didn't like it.

I didn't like it, because this was her was her way of telling me I was fighting a losing battle. That it didn't matter whether I talked to Bella or not, that even if Bella wanted to leave with us, she never would, because we'd never win.

"Oh and, Alice?" Jane called out, turning her head sideways to look at me, "Please tell Isabella I said 'hi', and that I'm pleased she's back," she said innocently, laughing lightly before leaving me alone with my dark thoughts.

I took a deep breath and released it slowly, leaning against one of the walls for support. I felt so dizzy. Was there really no way I could save my sister? My best friend? Was she really condemned to a lifetime of suffering? Was everything we'd gone through…that she'd gone through for nothing?

I shook my head, disappointed at my own thoughts. Bella had never given up when it came to protecting us from harm, so why should I?

With this new line of thought, I began to follow what remained of Bella's scent, while replaying the conversation I'd just held with Jane.

"_I mean, we're not even allowed to say that name out loud now that you're here– Aro's orders– but you already now she's here, so, why not?"_

Aro's orders.

That could only mean one thing; Aro didn't want us to know Elizabeth was indeed Bella, and that she was very much alive.

And that on its own accord; meant one thing and one thing only.

_He was afraid._

He was afraid of what would happen if we knew, he was afraid of what we'd do.

_There's still hope_, I thought, a smile working its way to my lips.

Now that I was less nervous I let my eyes scan my surroundings. I had reached a crossroad, and Bella's scent had disappeared. Panic threatened to set in before I shook it off and tried my hardest to get a vision of Bella.

I closed my eyes and thought of her, but nothing came to me.

I growled lowly, frustrated.

Bella's smiling face flashed before my eyes and I knew I was not going to give up. I needed to talk to Bella, now more than ever. So with newfound determination I searched once again for even a glimpse of her future.

After a couple of seconds, I was rewarded with images of Bella, standing below the archways of an ancient building, a building I recognized as the Palazzo Pretorio.

I grinned as relief flooded me; at least she had listened to Aro and stayed close. Now, I knew exactly which way to go.

* * *

"Bella," Anna said softly, "Please just talk to me," she pleaded.

But Bella wouldn't talk to her.

I had finally reached them, after a few minutes of walking at a human pace. I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me move too fast. Once they were in full view, I had carefully positioned myself close enough to hear them; but far enough so they wouldn't sense me. I'd wanted to run straight to Bella the moment I saw her, but they'd seemed to be discussing something serious, so I contained myself and kneeled behind a stone pillar.

They were both standing stiffly underneath the shadows provided by the Palazzo. Bella's back was turned to Anna.

"Bella," she called her again.

This time she got an answer.

"Why did you do it?" Bella whispered, turning to face Anna, her eyes boring into hers. "Why did you bring her with you?" she continued, anger seeping into her voice.

_They were talking about me._

"Because I needed her visions if I was to save you," she sighed.

"That's not a good enough reason," Bella's, well, Lizzie's eyes were hard.

"Bella…it was the only way–"

"That still doesn't make it right,"

"Then what do you want me to say?" Anna countered, her eyes showing a spark of anger. "I'm not going to apologize for wanting to save your life Bella," she said defiantly.

"I don't need any saving Anna," her voice was cold.

"To hell you don't," she shot back.

"Nobody forced me to do anything Anna! It was _my_ choice to come back!" Bella hissed, "_You_ of all people _knew_ why I did it! You had no right to bring Alice and yourself into this mess, let alone let the whole Cullen family follow suit!" she looked so mad and she was shaking so hard. I could see a faint glow emanating from her hands.

"So was I supposed to stand aside and watch as you threw your life away for them _again_?" Anna asked glaring, "No thank you!"

A furious growl escaped Bella and I could swear I caught a glimpse of fire in both her hands before she clenched them into fists and closed her eyes taking a deep breath, as if making a conscious effort to stay calm.

_What the hell is going on here? _

"See that's just it! Don't you understand? I wasn't throwing my life away Anna, I was protecting what's left of it!" Bella argued; her voice was controlled, but still held a slight edge.

"What's that supposed to mean?" a confused look crossing Anna's features.

Only the soft wind could be heard for a few seconds before Bella's beautiful but broken voice reached my ears, like a heartbroken melody.

"I…I wouldn't– be able to live with myself, if something…" she took a breath, "If they were hurt because of me," she said, her head hanging low, "That's why I came back, that's why I've tried so hard to be strong, that's why I helped the Volturi capture innocent humans tonight," she looked up, her eyes glistening, and her face pained, "I love them too much to let go," she whispered.

I let out a small gasp as I tried to choke back a sob and my eyes stung with tears that would never be. I would cry if I could. Whatever part of my dead heart that hadn't already been broken by Bella's tale almost an hour ago, was shattered to pieces as those words left her mouth.

"Oh Bella," Anna sighed, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around her, "I'm so sorry,"

A pang of jealousy surged through me. I wanted to be the one to comfort Bella, my sweet, loving sister. I wanted to be the one she sought out when she needed someone to talk to. I wanted so desperately to come out of hiding, but something told me it wasn't time to reveal myself just yet, and so I waited.

"You really shouldn't have come here," Bella said, her voice muffled.

"You know," Anna began, "Alice would've probably come after you anyways," she shrugged as Bella stepped away from her.

Bella just shook her head, "No, she would've–"

"She already knew the truth by the time I got to their house," Anna went on as if Bella hadn't spoken.

I frowned; did Bella really think I wouldn't have come? How could I not?

"Now that you've mentioned it," Bella said, "I've wanted to ask you, how did she find out?" she asked, "You didn't…" she hesitated.

"No, no," Anna hurried to say, waving her hands in front of her defensively. "I would never,"

"Then how…?"

She shrugged, "I never asked her," she said, "My best guess is she saw the pictures before the rest of them did, and she made the connection herself,"

Bella sighed; all of a sudden she looked exactly like she was supposed to, an old soul. "I should've been paying more attention, I should've taken that sac with me when I left," she said, her gaze on the floor.

"Hey," Anna whispered, grasping her shoulders and giving them a gentle squeeze, "You were thinking about more pressing matters then, you can't expect your mind to be everywhere at once,"

"Still I–" she stopped mid-sentence, wincing in pain as her hands flew to her head.

I was on my feet at once.

"Bella!" Anna exclaimed.

"I'm…fine…" Bella wheezed between breaths, as she sank to her knees, "Don't worry…it's just Jane,"

_Huh?_

"Bella…" Anna started carefully, kneeling beside her and reaching for her.

A spasm of pain shook my sister's body and she let out a small gasp as her hands pressed harder to her temples, "And Chelsea," she whispered.

I felt a shiver shoot through me at the mention of her name.

"Bella," Anna said again, "Your overexerting yourself, you gotta stop,"

_What?_

If Anna hadn't looked so calm about the whole situation I would've already been by Bella's side.

"Bella, you gotta let go," Anna whispered.

But Bella shook her head rapidly, "No…I got it…under control," she managed to say, breathing heavily, "Jane…she's…she's just giving me her welcome," her voice trembled slightly as she winced once more.

"Damn it Bella!" Anna exclaimed, "You can't keep doing this, you know what'll happen if you strain yourself too much, the last time you used your shield this much you wouldn't wake up for _days_ and Jane knows this!" she continued, "And that's without taking into account Daniel's medallion!" she said, her voice full of worry, "So please, just stop for a moment,"

I felt my stomach drop. So this was what Jane had meant when she was talking about Bella's limitations. She must be testing Bella's shield to an extreme extent.

"No…"

"Bella," Anna took her head in her hands and forced her to look into her eyes, "If you black out now, you won't be able to protect the Cullens, and Chelsea will undoubtedly swing their boat the wrong way," Bella's eyes showed her dismay, "Now if you would just rest for a bit, your shield would be back up at its fullest in no time, so even if she's managed to sway them, your shield would undo anything she's done,"

"No," Bella whispered, "Not if I'm too late," she said softly.

"You won't be,"

"No, just wait," Bella sighed, her features and tense body relaxing, "It's stopping now,"

I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding as Bella rested her back against the wall, her face peaceful. If I didn't know better I would think she was sleeping.

Anna slumped right next to her and eyed her carefully, she opened her mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it, because she closed it again before saying, "You almost slipped up when we were arguing,"

I frowned.

That didn't make sense to me.

But Bella, however, seemed to understand.

"I know," she said, looking at her hands, "I was so mad that it came without warning," she said, then she frowned and closed her eyes. I followed Anna's lead and stared at Bella's hands, waiting expectantly.

My eyes widened as fire erupted from her palms and danced on her pale hands. But as soon as it had appeared, it was gone.

I turned my gaze to Bella's face. She looked tired.

"You shouldn't do that unless necessary you know," Anna chided her.

Bella just nodded, "We should go back, or Aro will send out a search party for me," she mumbled.

"True," Anna said helping Bella up, "What are you going to do about the Cullens?" she asked her.

"Probably just ignore them until Aro sends them on their way," she sighed.

_Oh no you're not!_

"Alice won't be happy with that,"

She shrugged, "She'll have to be,"

_Now she was going to listen to me!_

Anna just shot her a look.

"Well what do you expect me to do Anna?" Bella asked exasperated, "I can't do anything about it! She won't just forget–" she stopped, staring forwards.

"Bella?"

"That's it," she looked like she just had an epiphany, "I'll make her forget," she whispered and turned to Anna, "I'll make her forget about me,"

_What?_

"What?" Anna looked at her like she was crazy, "You can do that?" she asked dubious.

"This thing's been around for centuries," she said a silver medallion dangling from her fingers, "There's bound to be some power in here that can help me accomplish it," she whispered and with no warning she focused her gaze on Anna's.

"Bella–" Anna's words died on her lips as she stared, mesmerized into Bella's topaz eyes.

I stared a couple of seconds before Bella broke her gaze away and the spell was broken. Anna's eyes were unfocused for a moment before she posed them on my best friend.

"What are you going to do about the Cullens?" she asked.

_Hadn't she already asked that?_

"Probably just ignore them until Aro sends them on their way," Bella said carefully and a little breathlessly.

"Alice won't–"

"Won't be happy with that I know," Bella interrupted, before letting out a small laugh "It worked," she whispered amazed.

I was so shocked I was sure there was no way I would be able to close my mouth for quite some time.

_How did she do it? _

It was that medallion I was sure of it. But how did it work?

"What worked?" Anna asked, perplexed, but Bella ignored her. She was staring straight ahead.

"Bella, what worked?"

"I just erased part of your memory,"

"You what!"

"Don't worry, it was nothing important, I was just wanted to see if I could do it," Bella reassured her.

"Why?"

"Because I'm making Alice forget about me," her voice cracked and her pain showed itself.

"You're what!" Anna exclaimed, clearly taken aback, "No Bella you can't do that! It's not fair to either one of you! Besides you don't even know how much energy that's gonna take, you could end up killing yourself!"

"I have to try," Bella whispered, "It's the only way she'll leave once this is over,"

"Bella," she said, "You're just going to hurt yourself, and I'm not talking just about physical pain here. Are you ready to look into her eyes and see no spark of recognition? Are you ready to be no more than a stranger to her? Your sister? Your best friend?"

Bella swallowed hard and her face twisted in pain, "If that's what I have to do to keep her safe then yes," she said quietly, her voice shaking, "Besides I may only have to erase her recent memories of me, once she found out the truth, it would be strange if she had absolutely no idea of who Bella Swan was,"

Oh no, no, no! She might be ready to let me go, but I wasn't going to lose her again! This was rapidly getting out of control.

"Bella…" Anna's voice sounded tired and resigned.

"Yes, she'll only have to forget I'm still alive,"

_That's it, _I'd heard enough.

"That's enough Bella!" I said with steel in my voice as I stepped out of the shadows and stood in clear view, "That's enough," I whispered.

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**Remember to tell me what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello everyone!!**

**I am officially exhausted! I think this is one of the longest chapters I've written yet... I think (without counting any lyrics haha) anyways I worked really fast and hard for you guys! I really hope you enjoy this chapter and I pray it was up to your standards!**

**Also I want to say thank you for all your wonderful reviews! I love them! Especially those that are somewhat long! Thank you for taking the time to write them!**

**Another thing! I used a dialogue from the movie 'A Walk to Remember' I never meant to, it just sort of popped up in my head! let's see if anyone can recognize it! (it's easy enough I think)**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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**Alice POV**

"Alice," Bella breathed, her butterscotch eyes were wide with surprise as she took a step back, as if, afraid.

"Just…just stop," I whispered, my voice pleading.

She said nothing but continued to stare, so many different emotions were going through her face it was hard to keep up.

"Umm…" started Anna, "I…uh, I'll leave you two alone," she said. I barely noticed her retreating form. I only had eyes for Bella right now; even if it wasn't really her I was seeing.

She seemed to find herself in the same situation as me though; seeing as she only gave an almost imperceptible nod to indicate she'd heard her friend. She never let her gaze break away from mine.

"I'll make sure Aro doesn't bother you," and with that Anna was gone, giving me what I'd wanted all along.

A moment with Bella.

I'd wanted this so bad, that I had willingly risked my life– and unknowingly my family's– to get it. There was so much I wanted to say. But now that I was finally here, I was astounded to find my voice had disappeared. I couldn't understand how nor when the words I'd been thinking of, had fled from my mind. I swallowed and faced the bitter truth of my predicament. I didn't know what to say.

A few seconds had passed and the silence surrounding us was killing me, not to mention Bella's lack of response to my presence was starting to bother me. I was seriously considering just throwing myself at her just to see a reaction– knowing I was still drawing a blank as to what to say– when she spoke up. But the words that left her mouth weren't exactly what I was expecting.

"Al– wha… why did… what are you doing here?" her voice trembled as she stuttered out her question, and I was sure that was not what she'd wanted to say.

Still…

"What?" it was the only response I could give. Out of all the things she could've asked, she was asking me what was I doing here? Wasn't that clear enough?

"What are you doing here?" she repeated, her voice was stronger and slightly cold. I could see all traces of surprise and every other emotion on her face, slowly slipping away and I knew I had just seconds before she put on her poker face and pushed me away.

"Bella," I said, "Don't do this," I begged, taking a step forwards.

"Do what?" she countered, taking a step back.

"This!" I gestured to the space between us, "Don't…" I sighed, "Don't push me away," I said softly.

I saw what I thought to be pain flash in her eyes before it was gone, leaving a dull stare behind.

"Any right you had to be in my life," she paused, taking a deep breath, "You renounced to long ago," she said.

"Bella–"

"Don't!" she interrupted, "I don't want to hear it Alice," her voice quivered and broke when she said my name and for a split second I could hear the real Bella.

"No!" I exclaimed as she turned away from me and started to make her way back to where we'd come from. "Bella! Don't walk away!"

"You taught me how," she said, never stopping to look back.

I winced but did not dare to close my eyes, fearing I would lose her.

_That hurt._

More than I ever believed possible, because she was right. But _this… _this was so wrong, and no matter what it took, no matter the price, I _had_ to make it right again. So I ran as fast as I could–not caring who could see me– and halted once I was standing in front of Bella.

She closed her eyes, "Get out of my way," she muttered curtly.

"No," I replied, "I'm not letting this go until you hear what I have to say," I told her, as I attempted to put my hand on her arm.

She flinched away, "I said get out of my way," she said in an angry tone.

"No!" I said, "Bella you have to hear me out!" I exclaimed, "Please," I added.

I could see this argument was awfully familiar and was reminded of Edward's discussion earlier. But I honestly couldn't care less if I was being as stubborn as he had been. I _needed_ her to see. I _needed_ to make her understand.

"Why should I?" she argued, her voice betraying nothing.

"Because I need you to know the truth," I said, looking into her eyes.

"So you can have a clean conscience is that it?" she asked, shaking her head and shoving me as she pushed past me.

"No Bella! That's not it!" I raised my voice and quickly took a hold of one of her hands.

She immediately yanked herself free before I saw her hands were glowing again, "Then what is it Alice?" she matched the level of my voice, only hers was filled with anger rather than distress, "What is it that's so important for me to know now? Huh? What!" she growled, She was breathing heavily now, and I could practically feel the heat radiating off of her.

Her sudden outburst took me by surprise and it took me a second too long to respond. She looked dangerous now, like a vampire.

"You have no idea," I started as calmly as I could, "How hard it was to leave," I said, but before I could continue she let out a strangled laugh.

"Hard? For you?" she asked incredulously, "Please Alice, don't make me laugh," she said.

"Bella the only reason we le–"

"Yeah, yeah, the only reason you left was to protect me, I know," she said, "I heard you perfectly clear the first time, in your car," she murmured. She was calm now, and her hands were back to normal.

_Good_, I thought, _so she did believe me._

"Then why are you acting like this?" I asked her, genuinely perplexed. I thought that, despite everything we'd said, she'd still been under the impression we'd left because none of us cared for her anymore. But if she had accepted the truth then…

"It doesn't matter to me why you left anymore Alice," she said, "I'm a big girl now, I can take it," she shrugged, though her eyes said otherwise. I still didn't understand.

"But–"

"You still left without saying goodbye," she cut me off, "How could you Alice? I needed you just as much as I needed–" she stopped, "You were my best friend!" she exclaimed, her voice full of emotion. It wasn't until now, that I finally realized how much I'd hurt her.

I sighed_, how could I?_ I closed my eyes. Well that was easy enough to answer. I could because I'd foolishly thought Edward wouldn't be able to take it, and we'd be back in no time. I never could've seen this coming.

"You say it was hard for you to leave? All right," she nodded, "After what I heard and saw that day, I know it's true, I'll give you that, but you have no idea, _no idea_ what it was like for me. You say you left for my benefit? How could you when you never asked me how I felt about it?" her voice raised again, and I felt something snap inside of me.

"Just like you were going to ask me how I felt about you erasing my memory?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my voice. I knew it was a low blow, but it was a card I had to play if I was going to keep my memories intact.

Her eyes widened before she turned defensive, "That's different,"

"How so?" I challenged, taking a step closer to her.

She stayed quiet.

I narrowed my eyes, "You have no right," I started, "To take away those memories Bella," I said, clenching my jaw. Anger coursed through my body, as I recalled her words.

_I'll make her forget about me._

Not if I had any say on the matter.

"You don't understand just how bad this is," she said through clenched teeth.

_Let's see what you've got then_, I thought.

"Enlighten me then,"

"I thought I'd made Aro's intentions perfectly clear to you a few days ago," she hissed.

"He wants mine and Edward's gifts, so?" I shrugged, trying my hardest to appear indifferent, even though the idea of being enslaved here forever scared me to death. I didn't know how Bella could stand it. To have a taste of freedom only to have it ripped away from you so easily, or in her case, to give it up that way.

I could see now Edward had been wrong all along. Bella's love for him, for us, had run deeper than he thought it could. It was only now that I understood the depth of her feelings, very much the same as a vampire's.

"Isn't that enough for you to stay clear of this place?" she argued, glaring at me.

I shrugged again but kept Bella locked in my steady, determined gaze. I'd already decided I would do whatever it took to free her.

And just like that I was hit with a vision.

"_I'm sorry Carlisle, my friend," Aro said, stepping aside to reveal a short figure in a black cloak, distinctive of those who belonged to the Guard._

_It stepped forward and lifted its head._

_It's hood fell back and–_

"No!" Bella's growl brought me back to the present.

"You saw that?" I asked taken aback by her knowledge and sudden fierceness in her voice. My mind was still trying to process what I'd just seen.

"Don't you dare Alice," she hissed, her hands were trembling again.

"You didn't answer my question," I shot back. I was truly making an effort to appear unfazed by my vision, but her words vibrated inside my head.

_Would I do it?_

She ignored my comment, "I won't let you," she said anger laced her voice.

_Yes, I would._

Of course I'd try to find another way to free her, but if that was the only path then… I would do it; it was the least I could do to make up for everything she'd lost on our account.

"I promised myself I'd do whatever was necessary to get you out of here," I said quietly but confidently.

I could see her resolve waver under my gaze, and once again I caught a glimpse of my best friend, the loving girl that we'd all come to care for, to love. She shook her head and her eyes tightened.

"And you think giving yourself up on a silver platter is going to be enough?" she asked, "Don't be so naïve," she muttered, looking down on me.

"Then tell me what is?" I demanded, "What's good enough then?" I stepped towards her trembling frame. We were almost touching.

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, "Nothing will ever be good enough! And you offering to be a part of his Guard will do nothing but make things worse!" she started pacing in front of me, "You don't understand the _greed_ that drives that man," she looked straight into my eyes, "Aro will never settle with you,"

I frowned.

"Next he'll want Edward, and he won't hesitate to go after Jasper as well, not to mention your husband will never let you stay here alone," she said, "He'll say yes, he'll stay with you. Could you really condemn him to this life? Can you really tear your family apart?" she asked.

My frown deepened as I glared at Bella. True, I couldn't risk Jasper, and I couldn't do that to my family, after all I'd promised myself I'd protect them too but, she was also family, for God's sake I'd always considered her my sister! Why was she making me choose?

"You're my family too Bella," I whispered.

Her face contorted in pain and she closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly.

"There has to be something I can do," I said faintly. I couldn't take the look on her face, nor the resignation in her eyes. I'd thought I could always stay here and maybe trick Aro and escape after a while. I'd been sure I'd be able to think of something.

But Bella seemed to know exactly what I was thinking of because she said, "You'd never be free Alice. Just drop it," she added softly, her eyes immensely sad.

"So you get to do whatever you please to keep us safe, but I can only sit and watch as you damn yourself?" I asked, I felt so helpless now, "That hardly seems fair Bella," I added under my breath.

"Hasn't anybody told you life's not fair Alice?" she said, a sorrowful smile on her face.

I reached out for her, "Please Bella," I was begging now.

She took a step back before I could lay a finger on her. I sighed, irritated, why won't she let me touch her?

"I won't tamper with your memories if that's what you want," she said, "But I suggest you leave this place as soon as you can. I'm not sure how much I can take, and I can only protect you so much," she whispered.

Her recent breakdown came to my mind, and with it, memories of her skills.

"How did you do it?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me, "Erase Anna's memories I mean," I added.

"Alice…" she started tiredly.

"Please," I said, "I just want to talk to you,"

She sighed and fished out the silver medallion that hung around her neck. She took it off and showed it to me. The markings that adorned it seemed of Celtic origin.

_Almost like Kurt's tattoo, _I thought.

"This is how," she said.

I nodded, I'd figured as much. I made a move to touch it but she retreated her arm, "Don't," she said, and put the medallion back on, "We'll both regret it,"

I frowned, confused.

She sighed again, "I guess I'll need to explain everything from the beginning, or else you won't understand anything at all," she took a breath, "All right, so… all those years ago, once I'd gotten here and Aro had –"

"Wait," I interjected, "Would you mind starting from the very beginning?" I asked, my eyes pleading. I was dying to know the real story behind every lie and half-truth she'd told us.

She hesitated.

"Please,"

She let out a long sigh, "Okay," she caved in, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," I told her, "From the day we left,"

She nodded, "There's really not much to tell out of those first six months," she said, her eyes faraway, "I was…devastated, for lack of a better word, broken inside. I…" she let out a shaky breath, "Knowing that you were gone, and you were probably never going to come back, it… it hurt," she shook her head, "Poor Charlie, I know I really scared him, but I couldn't stop the nightmares from coming, and at first, I really had no desire to even try to get better.

"But I did get better, after a while," she continued after a small pause, "For him. Charlie I mean. I tried to get my life back on track to make it easier for him to be around me," she chuckled darkly, "I wasn't exactly your most pleasant company then,"

I could only imagine what she had gone through. I didn't know what I would do if Jasper ever told me he didn't love me, that he didn't want me.

"The day I died, I…" she hesitated, "I'd set out to find this meadow Edward once took me to. You see I," she frowned and bit her lower lip, "Even if he didn't, I still loved him, and I missed him. I thought going to this place would make me feel somewhat closer to him. Little did I know I was walking straight to my death," she whispered.

"You already know what happened," she sighed, "Just add Kurt to the equation; he was the one who bit me,"

"But the wolves?" I asked.

She smiled, "It was only thanks to their, interference, that I wasn't taken to Volterra that same night," she said, "They chased Kurt away after taking care of Victoria and Laurent, and Jacob," her voice shook at the name, "Jacob stayed with me throughout the change," she said her voice soft.

"Jacob?"

"A childhood acquaintance," she answered, "He became my best friend after you guys left,"

I nodded but was once again struck with the same feeling of jealousy.

"What happened next?" I prompted.

"The wolves allowed me to stay with them. Jacob explained the…enmity that exists between vampires and werewolves, but the pack agreed to work past it to help me out. Mostly because of Jacob's sake, he um… he was pretty adamant to let me go and fend for myself,"

I felt immediate gratitude for this Jacob, and wished to thank him for not abandoning Bella, before I remembered Anna's words.

"…_none of the wolves survived, as far as she knows,"_

"Anyways, I left before I could cause any major disputes among the pack," she continued, "I never really told them why I left, just that I needed some time on my own to figure things out. I doubt Jacob would've ever let me put a foot out of the reservation if he'd known the real reason I chose to leave,"

She looked up to meet my eyes, "I wanted to die Alice," she said her voice breaking, "Back then, I couldn't stand the thought of living forever without him, and I certainly wasn't looking forward to going through eternity on my own,"

Against my better judgment I interrupted, "But; why did you not come looking for us?"

"Let's not forget that at the time, I believed that neither Edward, nor any of you wanted me to be a part of your lives, so there was really no one I could go to," she whispered.

She went on before I could offer any words of comfort, "So, as I was saying I had no desire to go on living, so I traveled to Volterra and met with the three brothers," she said, "Aro was…delighted with my gift and potential so he refused to end my life, offering me a place to stay instead," she shook her head, as if disappointed with herself, "I should've said no, but I had nowhere else to go, so I agreed,"

"I don't know how much Anna's told you, but she was the one in charge of showing me around the place, she was pretty much like a 'mentor' I guess, if you could call her that" she chuckled lightly, "That's how we met each other, and in time, we became friends, later on I learned she held no love for the Volturi– same as me– she'd just never found the way to escape their grasp.

"I believe you already know I tried to leave, but… Aro had other plans for me," she muttered.

I could only nod.

"A couple of years before my 'grand escape' however, a vampire named Daniel was brought to Aro. He'd been accused of risking exposure when he tried to save a little girl from being crushed by rubble and debris in a construction site in the outskirts of the city," she paused, "I watched as he pleaded guilty, but the second Aro's hands were on him, I knew there was something off, he frowned and turned to look at me.

"'Bella' he'd said, I'd quickly shaken my head to show I wasn't interfiering. By then Daniel was also looking at me, he seemed puzzled but when he saw my exchange with Aro, something like understanding flashed before his eyes and he quickly recovered.

"Aro then asked Jane to use her power on him, but as I suspected it was useless," Bella said, "We had apparently stumbled upon another shield, just like myself,"

"I take it he was miraculously forgiven for his lapse of better judgment right?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course," she said, "And just like myself, he was offered a place within the Guard, and he agreed, for he had no other choice, if he wanted to live. Needles to say, we, that is, Anna, Daniel and I, became very close, during those last two years we were together,"

Her eyes darkened considerably then and she clenched her hands into tight fists by her side, "Two days before I was finally free, Anna was requested to go on a special trip, to Ireland, it seemed to be a group of rouge vampires was altering the peace, and since that was her homeland, she was the best suited to go.

I stiffened, nervous. I could practically feel the answers to all my questions coming my way.

"I was told Anna had perished two days after she left," she frowned, "I couldn't believe my ears, and Daniel comforted me as best he could. I was so _sick_ of that place." She said, disgust etched on her face, "I could no longer look anywhere without seeing Anna's ghost anymore. So Daniel took me somewhere we wouldn't be overheard and told me the truth behind his power," Bella added.

"He explained he'd never even had a power to begin with," she continued.

I raised an eyebrow.

"He said, he'd used _my_ power the day Aro forgave him," Bella said, pointedly.

"What? How?" I asked.

She fingered the medallion, "That was the first time I saw this," she said, "He told me this medallion had been in his family for generations, and that every time its bearer, came across a talented vampire, it…copied its power and stored it within itself. That's how he'd unknowingly kept Aro out of his mind, since my shield is somewhat an unconscious ability he didn't have to think of using it for it to activate."

"Oh my God," I whispered, "So that's how you can do all those things? Anna's memories? Your appearance? My vision? And your hands," I added, "That's Kurt's power isn't it?" I asked rapidly; it was all starting to make sense now.

A thought occurred to me then, if she was so powerful, then couldn't she take on the Volturi on her own?

"No Alice," she said.

I looked at her, lost.

"Edward," was the only thing she said, and I understood straight away: mind reading.

"Why can't you?" I asked.

"You saw what happened a while ago when I was with Anna," she started, "Straining my shield can become quite tiresome, but it really doesn't bother me, unless I'm using the medallion."

"So then using the medallion's power, it weakens you?"

"You could say that yes," she nodded, though by the look in her eyes, I knew she wasn't telling me the whole truth.

"So how did you escape?" I wanted her to finish her story.

"Daniel gave me the medallion," Bella said, "He explained how it worked, he said, I only had to touch it, to be bound to it, and told me that if I ever wanted to give it away, I could chose to keep an additional power, one that had been stored in the medallion. He chose to keep my shield," she continued, "So he could keep up the charade and told me about the talent of illusion, we practiced a bit, changing my appearance, and after I'd perfected it, I was ready to go.

"He created a diversion that same day, and you could say I practically walked out of the city with no trouble at all," she let out a small chuckle, "Everyone was looking for a face that no longer belonged to me. Bella Swan was dead and gone," she whispered.

"You went back to the wolves then right?"

She nodded, her head low.

"_All right! All right! I won't say it! I'm just telling you, you can't blame what happened on yourself!" Anna said, raising her voice, and taking Lizzie by the shoulders._

"_That place was burned to the ground because of me," said Lizzie, her voice deadly._

"I already know what happened," I told her, "You don't have to tell me anything," I said not wanting her to revisit painful memories, "You don't have to say anything about Jason either,"

Her frame trembled and before I could stop myself I took hold of one of her hands. She stiffened but didn't try to break free. I took this as a good sign and squeezed it gently.

"I really loved him you now?" she said out of the blue, her broken voice was quivering, "Jason, he… he helped me so much, he–" a sob stopped her mid-speech, and she took a deep breath.

"It's not fair," she whispered, "It seems that… everyone I love, everyone around me just dies– I…" her body shook with more sobs and I gently rubbed her arm with my free hand.

"I…" she looked deep into my eyes with a tortured expression, "I don't want you to be next," she softly said before bowing her head.

I felt my heart constrict at her words, and soon enough, I was having trouble keeping my own composure. I could feel the fear that haunted her, because honestly, it haunted me as well.

"We won't be next Bella," I managed to say, and squeezed her hand again, "I promise,"

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she shook her head.

I sighed, looking at her. "Bella," I said, "Please, let me see the real you again,"

She started shaking her head again, but I took it between both my hands and made her look at me, "Please," I begged. I needed to see her again.

She closed her eyes and turned her head sideways. She let out a shaky breath and her face seemed to shimmer and shift, her hair grew darker and longer, and I let go and stared, awed.

Before I knew it, my best friend was standing in front of me, and I let out a small gasp of joy before throwing my arms around her.

That did it.

The last of her resolve came crashing down and she began to sob uncontrollably, into my shoulder, holding on to me as if her life depended on it. I tightened my grip, as I let out a deep breath and sobs began to rack my body.

"Oh Alice! I missed you, so much," she choked out.

"I missed you too Bella," I managed to say, in a trembling voice, "You have no idea just how much,"

It felt so good to have my best friend back, and though I knew our futures might look bleak from where we stood, I was sure we'd find a way for all of us to find happiness again.

I'd make sure of it.

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**Wouldn't want to stand in Alice's way huh? haha Though I'm sure Bella has something to say about it!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Tell me what you think!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello guys!**

**PLEASE READ THIS!**

**I've posted another story, haha and I sincerely hope I'll be able to update frequently, so I wanted to ask you guys to check it out! **

**It's called Scars, and here's the summary!**

**Edward and Bella are a pair of unique vampire slayers, who've lost everything they once loved. But tragedy strikes, and Edward is left alone to lose himself into his hatred for vampires. Can a chance encounter with an unconventional coven change his fate?**

**Just thought you should give it a try, I think I'll maybe be able to update later this week!**

**That being said..**

**Thank you for all of your reviews! It's refreshing to know you guys like what I'm writing!**

**Also this chapter is not as long as I would've liked but still I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!**

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A couple of minutes had passed, and I let go of Bella and stepped back to look at her again. A smile found its way to my lips. She was as dazzling as my visions had once shown me.

"You have no idea how happy I am right now," I said closing my eyes, and it was true, just a few days ago I believed she was dead. Now she was here, alive and not that well, but alive nonetheless.

"Really? Even though you're stuck in Volterra, and you've got two very powerful vampires coming after you?" she asked. I could notice the slightest hint of sarcasm in her voice.

I sighed.

_Leave it to you Bella, to ruin my good mood_, I thought bitterly.

I was ready to rebut, but when I opened my eyes I was pleasantly surprised to find her smiling.

"I'm truly glad you're with me Alice," she said softly, so much gratefulness seemed to radiate from that single sentence, that I couldn't help but grin and throw my arms around her once more.

"I think that would be an understatement, don't you think Bella?"

I felt her stiffen and I gasped, stepping away from her and turning around.

"Jasper," I whispered.

"You two had me practically bouncing on my feet with joy," he said. He was standing a couple of feet away, a perfect and radiant grin etched on his face, "It was quite intoxicating really,"

I was so shocked, I hadn't seen him coming. How could we not notice?

I struggled to find words but Bella was the quickest to recover.

"How?"

"Confederate soldier," was his only response.

"How long have you been listening?" she asked, I didn't need my husband's ability to feel her dismay and dread.

"Long enough, I think," he said quietly.

He stayed silent and let Bella absorb the meaning of his words. She was staring at the ground, her expression one of disbelief, but tinged with resignation.

I watched as Jasper furrowedhis brow the way he always did when he though hard of something before he stepped towards us. "Bella," he started, "I owe you an apology," he said.

Bella shook her head, "I meant what I said outside your house Jasper," she said, "I don't blame you for anything, I never did,"

"I know," he nodded with a smile, "And I'm really grateful you don't, but I wasn't talking about that,"

_Oh Jasper, _I thought, smiling.

"Then what…" she trailed off, confused before understanding dawned upon her features, "Jasper–"

"I'm truly sorry, for my behavior towards you these past few days,"

"Jasper you really don't need to…"

"No, I do,"

"You were only looking out for your family," she argued, shooting me a glance, "You were doing what you could to protect it," she said. I could tell she was rather embarrassed at having Jasper talk to her so frankly. After all, they hadn't had the chance to bond, back when she'd been human.

"So were you," he countered, taking a step towards her.

That made her quiet.

For a single moment, we were nothing but three silent statues in the middle of the Piazza.

"You've sacrificed so much on our behalf," he started, taking advantage of the momentary silence, "You've kept us safe all these years at your own expense," his eyes briefly met mine, "You kept Alice safe, and for that I'll always be in your debt. I'm forever grateful,"

Bella stared at her feet for a moment before looking up to meet Jasper's gaze, "I…"

Whatever Bella was unable to say, was apparently present in the turmoil of emotions she was probably experiencing, for Jasper smiled kindly, and understandingly, before subtly, changing the subject, "You know, I really hope this time around I can actually get to really know you, and be friends. It would be nice don't you think?"

Bella's eyes widened and she looked taken aback.

I was beaming.

Forty-two years ago, anyone who might have seen us, would've thought Jasper hadn't liked Bella at all, when the truth was he'd only kept his distance as a safety precaution. I knew he cared for her, and was looking forward to their friendship now that he didn't have her blood to worry about, but this however, seemed to be news to Bella.

So I waltzed up to her and placed my hand over her arm. She looked at me and I gave her a small smile. _Can you hear me? _I thought. She relaxed but gave no sign as to indicate she'd heard me. Seeing as I wouldn't be able to show her just how true Jasper's words –and mine, for that matter– had been by letting her into my mind, I gave my husband a pointed look.

He smiled and caught onto my drift, sending out a wave of reassurance, and warmth, along with a spark of excitement. I turned my attention to Bella and watched as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be overwhelmed by Jasper's gift, before letting out a small but true laugh.

I felt myself grin at the sound.

"Yeah," she breathed, "Being friends would be nice," she smiled.

Then Jazz surprised her further even by closing the distance between them and enveloping her in a tight hug, she stiffened but recovered quickly and hugged him back.

I cleared my throat, getting both their attention, "Getting jealous here," I teased, grinning still. They both chuckled and each wrapped one arm around me, pulling me into the hug. We stayed that way for a moment, enjoying each other's company, but soon enough we let go. Jasper however took my hand and kissed my forehead before addressing Bella.

"So," he stated, "When are we telling the others?"

"We're not,"

"We're not?" Jasper frowned.

"No,"

"Why ever not?" I asked, frowning and narrowing my eyes. The confusion and anger I'd felt at her for keeping quiet all this time was starting to resurface, and I wanted answers. "Why did you not say anything when we first saw you that night? Or the next day for that matter? Or Saturday? When we went shopping?" I felt a pang in my chest as the next question slipped past my lips, "When I told you how I felt about your death?" I whispered. "Why?"

I locked my eyes with hers and I saw her expression was torn. I knew I probably should stop, that I probably shouldn't have said anything. After all she must've had her reasons for keeping herself a secret after she saw the toll her death had taken on my family, I could still hear her apologizing over and over again as she'd held me that night. Still, I couldn't help but feel hurt, and untrustworthy, at her actions.

"Why did you not say anything?"

She let out a long sigh and looked away, staring at nothing. A sad look had taken over her features; all traces of happiness were long gone now. "I always knew they'd come back for me one day,"

Jasper was about to say something but I squeezed his hand to stop him. Bella wasn't done talking just yet.

"I…" she started, "Please Alice," she whispered, her sorrowful eyes on me again, "You have to understand that I–" she stopped herself and sighed again, "I wanted nothing more than to tell you the truth right then," she shook her head, "I'd never seen you so… _distressed"_

_What an understatement,_ I thought.

"It was so wrong. It didn't match with my memory of you, always so perky and full of life. I was shocked to see you had actually cared…that you _still_ cared. It hurt me, to see you that way, and it hurt me even more to know that it was _me_, that was causing you pain," her eyes glistened momentarily before she continued, "_Please_ believe me when I say I wanted to tell you…but more than that, I wanted to avoid causing you anymore pain,"

"I rather doubt you could," I muttered bitterly, my eyes stung with tears I knew I could never cry. Jasper's grip on my hand tightened.

A hurt look crossed her face but she carried on, letting my comment pass by unattended, "It wouldn't have been fair to tell you the truth," she said.

"Why?"

_It seemed as though it was the only thing I could say these days._

"Because, I knew, that either Kurt, or the Volturi would find me one day. So, what use was there, to come back from the dead, only to be gone forever once more?" she asked.

I frowned at her.

"So you thought you wouldn't tell us then? So that you could remove yourself from our lives effortlessly when the time came?" I asked, "You kept us in the dark so you could leave? We had a right to know!"

"You _saw_ what happened with Kurt's coven back at your house, I wouldn't have had any other choice but to go!" she exclaimed, "I don't know about you Alice, but if I'd lived for decades thinking you were dead, and suddenly found out you weren't, only to have you ripped away from me again… I would've never been able to stand it,"

I felt myself nod, my head was clearer now, "I would never be able to let go," I whispered.

Her posture relaxed, "Good, so now you understand why I did what I did, and why I must do this," she said.

I shook my head vigorously, "You misunderstand me,"

She frowned.

"I said: 'I would never be able to let go', and I meant it," I told her.

She seemed to be under the impression that I was going to act according to her wishes. Boy, was she wrong.

Understanding flashed in her eyes, "Alice–"

"We lost you once Bella. I am _not_ letting you slip through my fingers for a second time," I said, my voice filled with determination. "I'm not losing you again,"

"Alice please don't make this harder than it has to be,"

"Then quit being so stubborn,"

"Ali–"

"Don't you love me at all Bella?" I asked, searching her eyes.

She looked at me as if I'd suddenly lost my mind, "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer,"

She scoffed, "Of course I do Alice! I just agreed to spend the rest of my existence serving the people I hate most in this world for all of your sakes! How could I possibly not?" she huffed, irritated.

"Then _listen_ to me," I said, letting go of Jasper's hand to take Bella's head between both of mine. "I love you Bella," I said, the overwhelming emotions inside of me made my voice tremble, "Two days ago, you said I was the kind of sister you would've loved to have, well, you _are_ my sister. I've _always_ considered you my sister," I whispered, "And I'll be _damned_ if I let you get away with this. You said you wanted us to leave this place? All right, we'll leave, but you're coming with us, and I'm not taking no for an answer." I paused, "I _will_ get you out of this mess, even if it's the last thing I do. I will not leave you again."

Bella's eyes were full of love and wonder, but also sadness and disbelief. I didn't think she'd ever expected a kind of speech from me.

"It's impossible," her voice was so low I barely heard it, "You'll never be able to,"

"Which is why, were doing this together," Jasper's voice rang out, and I let go of Bella as we both turned to him.

"You're part of this family Bella, you've always been ever since the moment Edward first laid eyes on you," he continued, "And we protect our family. If Aro thinks he's going to get away with whatever he's planning to do with all of us, then he's sorely mistaken. Because now that we've found you, there's no way we're letting go, and there's no way we're letting him rip our family apart,"

"Jasper…" I whispered, touched that he would say those words.

Bella however seemed to be at a loss for what to say, so Jasper continued.

"If you don't want to tell the others the truth for now, then fine, Alice and I will make sure they trust you and enlist their help. We'll tell them half-truths, that you made a deal with Kurt to protect us," he said, "I'm sure they'll agree to help you out once we're done talking," I felt myself nod at Jasper's words, praying Bella would see reason and agree to cooperate.

I felt a spark of hope surge within me as I heard her response, "I'm not leaving Anna behind,"

Jasper nodded as if he'd expected this, "We'll help her as well,"

It was quiet once again.

"This is insane," Bella breathed, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Maybe, but we'll succeed if we're careful enough and plan this through," Jasper said, "Bella, can you really use other vampire's powers as well as your own?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Good," he said, "Because the first thing we need to do, is find out whatever Kurt and Aro are both planning, and, since I suppose you don't want Edward sneaking a peek in neither of their minds, I suggest you be the one to do it. Can you?"

She hesitated.

A thought occurred to me then.

"Just how much, does using the medallion's power weaken you?" I asked Bella.

She hesitated once more.

"She can die if she oversteps her boundaries," a female voice answered.

_What?_

"Anna," Bella sighed.

"It's true,"

They stood facing each other for a moment; both their expressions were unfathomable. Then Bella turned to me.

"The medallion feeds on the bearer's… energy, its life. Now, being a vampire, one would think we had an unlimited amount of supply, since we are immortal, that however, is not the case," she took a breath, "Using the medallion's power sparingly, only weakens me, if I abuse it though…then yes, I would undoubtedly die. Think of it as safety insurance. This way no vampire in possession of this power would ever misuse it, should it somehow prove to be too much of a temptation,"

I stood there mouth open, trying to absorb the information Bella had just given me.

"Would you care to explain to me what is going on here?" Anna demanded.

Bella sighed and then proceeded to fill her in.

Once she was done, Anna was grinning, "Well, well, Bella, who would've thought?" she started, "I leave you alone with Alice for little over an hour and not only two Cullens now know you're dirty little secret but you've also plotted a scheme to escape from this hell?" she chuckled, as her eyes traveled over Jasper and me, "My, my, I think I just may have to readjust my opinion on your family Alice," she said.

I took her comment as a compliment, "So, you in or not?"

Her grin turned wider if possible, "Of course I'm in,"

Bella smiled before her expression turned serious again, "All right, we'll do this," she coincided. I squealed. "But," she added, "The moment this turns on us and becomes too dangerous for any of you, we're done,"

"Sounds fine by me," I agreed.

"Likewise," Jasper said.

"Good," she said curtly, "Anna," she turned her attention to her friend, "What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh, Aro's done talking with Carlisle and Esme, and would like you to give the Cullen family a tour around the castle," she said, "He said he hopes you'll remember the way this time,"

Bella just scoffed but nodded.

"This is great!" I exclaimed, "Now you won't need an excuse to be with us, and we can talk to the others!"

"Yeah, just great," she mumbled.

* * *

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	25. Chapter 25

**Hello everybody!**

**I'm back again with an early christmas present! This is officially, the longest chapter yet and I sincerely hope you like it!**

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* * *

Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Emmett and Edward were already waiting for us, just outside of our chambers, when we came back. And by the look on both of my parent's faces, my siblings had already told them what had transpired between Bella and Edward just moments ago.

"Where were you just now?" Rosalie stepped forward; her hard eyes were focused on me, although she had taken a second to glare at Bella, who now looked like Elizabeth once more.

"I was outside, having a nice chat with Lizzie here," I replied in a nonchalant tone, shrugging my shoulders as I did so.

Rose's stern gaze turned incredulous for a moment, my comment had caught her off guard, but she quickly recovered and managed to hiss out a "What?"

"I said," I stretched the word, "I was having a nice chat with Lizzie, Rose, please don't blow things out of proportion," I said, as calmly as I could.

"Out of–" she let out a huff, "Out of proportion!" she growled, "You just told me you left _us_, to have a conversation with _her_," she pointed at Bella, "When she'd just caused this family more grief than was ever necessary! As if she hadn't caused enough damage already!"

I felt Bella shift by my side and I spared her a glance. Her eyes were closed, and she appeared relaxed, but her jaw was tightly clenched. I could only imagine what Rosalie's words were making her feel. A spark of anger came alive inside of me but I quickly extinguished it. Rose didn't know anything; it wasn't fair to get mad at her for saying those things. That didn't mean I was going to let her carry on though.

"Rose–"

But she was rounding on Jasper before I could get another word out, "And you!" she hissed, jabbing her finger at his chest, "Pulling out a disappearing act on us when you knew perfectly well the state Edwa–"

"Rosalie that's enough!" Carlisle's strong voice was all it took for Rosalie to shut up and step back, close enough to Emmett for him to put his arms around her in an effort to calm her down. His eyes were hard and there wasn't a single trace of humor in them. The news on Bella's death had hit him hard.

I was about to say something when I noticed a slight drop in the hallway's temperature, very much like the one I experienced when Kurt was about to fight Anna, right after Bella's performance. I instinctively turned my eyes to my left, to Anna, and I saw her glaring at Rosalie, her fists were clenched tightly by her sides and were shaking. Badly.

I reached out for her hand but recoiled immediately after making contact with her skin. It was _freezing_. So much it had burned me. I looked at her again puzzled, but she hadn't seemed to notice my actions, so I turned to Bella, who was staring warily at her.

A low growl made me turn to my family again.

"Rosalie…" Carlisle said warningly and she stopped.

It was getting slightly colder and the others were starting to notice too, when Bella interfered, "Anna!" she said curtly, and suddenly the cold was gone.

Anna scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Can't imagine what living with her must be like," she muttered, earning another one of Rosalie's murderous glares.

I didn't understand.

_What on Earth had just happened?_

Before anyone could say or do anything else Carlisle took over.

"I'm sorry about that," he told Bella, "I believe you are here to show us around?" he asked politely.

"And I believe you owe us an explanation," Emmett said, his voice quiet but deadly, "We need to talk,"

Carlisle sighed heavily and shot Bella an apologetic look, just as she turned to address my burly brother.

"I don't owe you anything, Emmett," she said, her voice steady, " But you're right," she agreed shifting her gaze to Edward, who refused to look at her, "We need to talk,"

Emmett opened his mouth to reply but Bella held up a hand, "Not here," she added, "Follow me,"

Jasper and I were at her heels in less than a second, the rest of the family close behind with Anna bringing up the rear. We were going back through were we'd come form, and next we took a left. I sighed and allowed myself to admire the architecture around me for a while, marveling at the ancient yet beautiful wonders that stood before me.

Bella led us through various wings and hallways, flights of stairs and balconies, briefly describing the design of some of the rooms, giving out some historical facts here and there and answering Esme and Carlisle's questions satisfyingly. I was impressed. She had obviously done this before, for she clearly knew what she was doing. But just to be sure, since she hadn't gone into details about her stay with the Volturi, I decided to ask her about it. She answered right away, the ghost of a smile on her face.

"Yes," she said, "It was one of the tasks that were assigned to me during my first year here. It had been Anna's job though, to do this before I came along,"

"Good riddance," I heard Anna chuckling somewhere behind me, and Bella just rolled her eyes, leading us down yet another flight of stairs. This one though, was longer and steeper than the others had been. We kept descending at a normal human pace for about a couple of minutes before we reached a large and empty room, lightened by the weak candlelight from a worn chandelier that hung above us.

"Be quiet now," Bella whispered softly before crossing the room to the farthest wall and running her hands over the marble stone. She found what she was looking for soon enough, and she motioned for us to come forward just as she pressed both hands to the wall, pushing a large section back and then sliding it to a side, revealing an entrance to a room of some sorts.

It was pitch black.

I hesitated before going in, casting a quick glance at Bella. She nodded her head with a small reassuring smile. It was all I needed to step into the black void in front of me. Jasper followed without hesitation and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, whereas my family took a little bit longer to catch up with us.

I turned back and all I could see were two dark silhouettes against the weak light that came from the opening, but soon enough they too stepped inside and one of them sealed the entrance once more, plunging us all into darkness.

It was completely quiet for a second before I heard the sound of soft footsteps and saw a small sphere of fire, the size of a golf ball, floating in the air, circling the room and following the footsteps. The sound of Bella's feet and the crackling fire were the only things that could be heard, and every few feet a new tongue of fire would spark to life. It took me just a second to realize she was lighting the torches that were perched along the walls of the circular room.

Once she was done, and the room was bathed with warm light, she turned to us. There were no matches in her hands, nor anything she might have used to light the fire, so I could only assume she'd used Kurt's power.

"No one else in here knows of the existence of this room except for Anna and myself, and now, you," she started, "So as long as we're quiet, and careful enough, no one will hear or disturb us," she pursed her lips, "Make yourselves at home," she gestured towards the long sofa and old armchairs on the far side of the room.

Nobody moved.

Bella let out a long and resigned sigh turning her eyes to Carlisle, "I think all of you have a lot of questions for me, and I know, that three of your children want nothing more than to rip my head off," she added while shooting Edward, Rose and Emmett a glance, "While I will not let any of them so much as come close to me until we're done here, I _will_ answer your questions as best I can," she finished.

Carlisle nodded, "It seems fair enough,"

"Well," she sighed, "Fire away," she said as she let herself drop onto an ancient looking couch right behind her. Dust flew in all directions as the cushion took in her lightweight but Bella didn't seem to mind. Jasper sat at her right and I took the seat on her left, while Anna sat on the armrest beside me.

Every member of my family looked confused at our actions and I saw Edward's eyes flash with hurt and betrayal. Yes. That's what siding with Bella would look to them. Betrayal. Thankfully though, no one mentioned our sitting choice and they all made themselves as comfortable as possible in the chairs surrounding a round table just behind them. Edward chose to remain standing.

"All right," Carlisle began, "I was told you knew Bella Swan?" he asked her, leaning forward.

She nodded, "Yes, I knew her,"

"May I ask how?"

I smiled, _Carlisle_, I thought, _always polite. _Then I turned to Bella, wondering, what kind of lie she was about to say.

"I met her, shortly after I left the vampires I'd joined during my first year as a newborn. I'd been wondering around the forests of Washington toying with the idea to end my life when I stumbled upon her," she said, in a confident voice.

I was surprised, though I shouldn't have been. _Who would've ever thought she could lie this convincingly?_

"But you were a newborn," Jasper said playing along, "Wasn't the thirst too much for you to handle? How did you manage to resist?" he asked, apparently intrigued.

I almost let out a chuckle. Almost.

Bella smiled, probably amused by Jasper's comment, "It was hard," she swallowed and grimaced, as if remembering the burning in one's throat that's triggered by the scent of human blood, "But it became easier once the thirst was overcome by my curiosity. She knew what I was," she said, "The word vampire had left her lips as soon as she'd spotted me,"

She shook her head, "Now, you all know just how trusting Bella can be, when it comes to us mythical creatures," she paused and frowned, "What a fool," she whispered in a barely audible voice, full of sadness.

I felt a tug at my heart and I reached out for her hand wrapping my fingers around hers. She squeezed them thankfully and continued.

"Anyways, once I'd assured her I wasn't going to hurt her and told her about my choice of diet, we sat down and chatted some, she told me about her life," her eyes darkened, "And I told her about mine," she said, "We became friends that day. I stayed in Forks for about a month, that is, until Bella's death," she added quietly.

"If you'd been friends with her why didn't you save her?" asked Emmett.

She took a deep breath, "I already told you, I wasn't strong enough,"

"A newborn? Not strong enough?"

"Against two skilled vampires and a pack of werewolves? No, I wasn't strong enough," she replied, effectively shutting Emmett up.

"You left quite a mess behind, you know?" she said, and I knew everyone was aware of what she meant.

Carlisle nodded, "If we'd somehow known how this would all turn out, we would've never left in the first place. We should've never left."

Edward growled.

"No," Bella agreed, ignoring Edward, "You shouldn't have,"

"How…" it was Esme, "How did she fare?" she asked in a small voice.

Bella turned to her and her face softened, "She didn't…at first," she whispered, everyone was hanging on to her every word now. Edward's eyes were fixed on Bella, and had darkened considerably. "She was still so broken when I met her. It wasn't a pretty sight to see," she sighed, "She told me she'd gotten somewhat better after a few months, for Charlie, her father, but you could still see just how much your departure had hurt her," she locked her gaze with Esme's, "If it's any comfort, she didn't think ill of you…any of you," she said.

"My poor dear," Esme whispered, her eyes lost.

Silence followed.

Then Rosalie broke it with a question that, until now, had haunted me every time I'd thought of Bella.

"What happened to her body?" she asked. A pained look crossed Edward's features.

"I'd rather not talk about that," Bella replied.

A loud crash echoed in the room and we turned to see what remained of a once beautiful mirror, and Edward standing over the broken glass.

Anna clicked her tongue disapprovingly, "That's seven years of bad luck you know?"

Edward didn't bother answering; he just let a threatening snarl, and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Oh you want to play this game?" Anna was standing at once, "Good! I've been dying for an excuse to hurt you," she smiled, though her eyes were serious.

_Oh, oh_, I thought as Bella sprang to her feet and grabbed Anna's cloak before she could take another step. "Anna, stop," but she wasn't listening.

"Edward son," Carlisle was saying, "Calm down,"

But just the same as Anna, he wouldn't listen.

Everyone was standing now, and Emmett was holding Edward back.

Wasting no time, Bella stepped in front of Anna to bar her way, her back was turned to Edward now, "Anna, please stop," she asked her.

"Why should I?" she countered, "He's just a selfish idiot who's hurt you enough! And it's about time he stopped!" she hissed.

"Anna, remember what we're here for," Bella replied calmly, "A fight with the Cullens will do no good. We don't want the Guard barging through that door and killing you on the spot– don't look at me like that, you know they certainly can," she sighed, "I've lost enough already Anna, I don't want to lose you too,"

At last Anna seemed to relax.

Then Bella addressed Edward, without turning around, "Loosing someone you love is hard, Edward, but it's the aftermath that's the real struggle, and you don't seem to be handling that too well," she said softly. "I understand what you're going through,"

"Yeah, because you would know all about getting over death's caused by your own hand huh?" he retorted.

I couldn't believe my ears.

Bella's eyes opened wide and I was able to see how much that last comment had hurt her before she shut them tightly.

"Edward!" I hissed furiously, as I felt Jasper stiffen by my side, overcome with emotions.

Anna growled at my brother; she was seething. She shot forward only to be stopped by Bella's hand, holding her wrist with an unyielding grip.

"_Elizabeth_," she said through clenched teeth, "_Let. Me. Go_," she was trembling, and all our breaths were rapidly becoming visible, as the room grew colder.

But Bella ignored her and spoke to Edward, still not turning around, nor opening her eyes, "I will only forgive that, because I know you are hurting," she managed to say in a quiet, barely controlled voice.

"And what do _you_ know about hurting?" he spat the words, letting out a low snarl.

This time, she turned around; her hand still holding Anna in place as she spoke. "A _hell_ of a lot more than you do for sure!" she growled, her eyes were ablaze with anger and hurt, so I did the only thing I could think of to offer some comfort: I walked up to her, and wrapped my arms tightly around her shaking form.

She let out a shuddering breath and after a couple of deep breaths; I could feel her begin to relax, although she still hadn't let go of Anna, which was probably a good thing, because despite the fact that the temperature had stopped its descent, it was still colder than it should be, and I was now sure that Anna's anger and the unexplainable cold were directly related.

I heard Bella swallow hard as she trembled slightly, and I clutched her tighter, "It's okay," I whispered, "It's okay,"

"Alice?" I heard Rosalie say, clearly confused as to why I was comforting Bella.

Jasper then, stepped forward and stood between Bella and our family, surprising everyone by throwing Edward a furious glare, "Are you done?" he asked, his voice was dead serious.

"What! You too?" he asked incredulous.

"Lizzie is making an effort to have a civilized conversation with all of us," Jasper started, ignoring Edward's question, "And you immediately take a jab at her, the first chance you get?" he shook his head, a frown upon his brow, "It's not _her_ fault you left Bella in those woods forty-two years ago! So don't take it out on her!" he growled.

Edward stumbled backwards, startled, as if Jasper had hit him, and once everyone was done staring at my husband in disbelief, Rosalie stepped up.

"If I remember correctly," she started, struggling to keep herself in check, "You were the one who trusted her the less. So now I ask, why, pray tell, are you standing up for her_ now_?" she asked.

"You don't know everything there is to know about Elizabeth, Rose, so I suggest you sit back down and let her talk," he answered.

"Oh and you do Jasper?"

"Alice has already told you she talked with her a moment ago," he said, "I happened to be a part of that conversation, so yes, Rosalie," he narrowed his eyes a bit, "I know a lot more than you do right now,"

"So you trust her now?"

"With my life,"

She scoffed, "How can you after all the trouble she's landed us in!"

"She did everything she could to keep us _out_ of trouble, but still, we managed to get ourselves tangled into this mess without any help!" he exclaimed, gesturing around him.

"What are you _talking_ about?" Rosalie raised her voice.

"She gave herself up for our sake!"

"What?" Rosalie backpedaled.

"Kurt was coming for us that night," Jasper started, "More specifically for Alice, Edward and myself, so Elizabeth made a deal with him. She said she'd go without putting up a fight, and in turn, he'd let us be," he said.

A thick silence enveloped us as my family tried to digest this new information.

"Is this true?" Carlisle asked me.

I nodded solemnly. That much was true.

"Elizabeth?" he said.

She shrugged, "We're here, are we not?" she was staring at the floor.

"There are a lot of ways we could've ended up here anyways," Rosalie said, she was calm now, "If you made a deal with Kurt to save us, by giving yourself to the Volturi once more, then how do we know you are not here, in this room, by his orders or Aro's for that matter?" she asked.

Anna growled softly.

"And what the _hell_ is wrong with the _freaking_ temperature!" Rose exclaimed, exasperated.

Bella hugged me briefly before stepping out of my embrace, whispering a low and soft 'thank you'. "Jasper," she said and she gave him a small but grateful smile, he returned it and gave her a short nod.

"I hold no love for either of those men Rosalie. They took away whatever shot I had at happiness, ruining my life in the process," Bella said, facing her, her eyes were hard, "And yes, they could force me to do practically anything. They've done it before with numerous things, but being here with you all, is not one of them. As for the cold…" she trailed off and turned her head to Anna, who just rolled her eyes.

"My bad," she muttered.

"You can manipulate the temperature in an environment?" Carlisle asked, amazed.

"Not exactly," she grinned, and she held out her hand for everyone to see. She closed her eyes and almost immediately a clear, transparent substance materialized just above her palm. It hardened quickly and began to morph, changing and shifting until it became a beautiful crystal rose.

We all stared, awed, at the small ice sculpture resting on Anna's hand. The cold air surrounding us made perfect sense this time.

Then, as fast as lighting, the rose shattered into pieces that quickly reassembled themselves into a dagger. Anna closed her, no doubt, practiced fingers around the blade and within a second its tip was embedded in a wooden statue that stood at the other side of the room.

"Since my dear brother got fire, it was only fair that I got this talent," she shrugged, a small smile on her face, "It comes in handy, when in battle. It's stronger than ordinary ice, harder to break. It tends to get a tad bit out of control though, if I allow myself to become too angry," she added.

I remembered the dangerous glint and the fury behind her eyes as she had glared at Edward barely minutes ago. Ready to strike. I shivered involuntarily.

"That was… so cool," Emmett said. His eyes were wide and he had an enormous grin on his face.

"Thank you," she turned to Bella, "You're up," she smirked.

"I was getting there,"

"Uh-huh,"

My eyes turned to Bella and I saw her hand was placed over her chest, just beneath her collarbone, where I would expect her medallion to be, just under her clothes.

Carlisle approached her, his expression puzzled, "But we already know what you can do," he said, "I mean, don't get me wrong, what you can do is amazing, but, what more could there be to it?" he asked, obviously curious.

"I haven't been completely honest with you,"

_Here goes nothing, _I thought.

"No, Rosalie," Bella said, "That's not what I was about to say,"

Everyone but Jasper, Anna and myself froze.

Rosalie hadn't uttered a word.

"Yes," she said softly, her eyes locked with Rosalie's, "I just did,"

"What is going on?" asked Emmett.

"She–she just read my thoughts," Rosalie whispered.

"You did?" he asked, bewildered, looking at Bella.

She made a disgusted face, "Ugh! Emmett…" she shook her head, "Don't!"

"You did!" he whispered, a goofy grin on his face.

I chuckled.

Carlisle's eyes were wide open, "How is this possible?" he asked.

"Let's just say it is," Bella said, her eyes begging him to let it be.

He nodded, "Is that all you can do?"

She shook her head.

"There's more?" came Emmett's baffled voice.

In response Bella extended both of her hands. Almost immediately the same substance Anna had shaped a moment ago was hovering a couple of inches above her right hand changing its form, never settling, while the small sphere of fire we'd all seen earlier made reappearance on her left.

Every member of my family, including Jasper, myself, and, surprisingly Edward were staring at her hands, mesmerized.

A ripple passed through her left fingers and the sphere disintegrated, becoming flames that danced harmlessly around her hand.

Emmett bent forward, reaching out a hand, as if to test the flames, but Bella immediately closed both hands, and both fire and ice, were gone.

She looked at him, "Harmless to me, deadly to you," she whispered, taking a deep breath after.

"Oh my God," whispered Esme.

Carlisle was shaking his head, an amazed smile on his face, "That was remarkable," he said, "Impressive. I take it you can use other vampire's powers then?"

Bella nodded her yes.

"Impressive," he said again. "Unbelievable," then he looked at her, as if he'd just remembered something, "And I figure neither Aro, nor Kurt know of this ability of yours?"

She shook her head.

She looked winded.

He frowned, "Then, why are you telling us?"

She took a deep, shuddering breath, before answering, "I figured, if I wanted your trust, I would show you, just how much I trust you first," she said, breathing somewhat heavily. I took her hand, and she smiled at me.

I knew just how much it cost her to trust every one of us again.

"Are you okay?" Carlisle asked, for the first time noticing her irregular breathing.

"Using someone else's power…it takes its toll on me. That's why I haven't tried to take down the Volturi on my own yet," she chuckled, "Don't worry though, it'll pass, it's no big deal," she hurried to say when she saw the slightest hint of concern cross Carlisle's features.

_Yeah sure_, I thought bitterly, _I guess dying is no big deal when you're dead already. _

"Wait, taking down the Volturi?" Emmett asked, "That's what you wanna do?"

Bella shrugged, "That would be nice, but right now, the plan is to get you all out of Volterra safe and sound. Aro is hoping at least one of you will decide to stay here before you leave," she said, "And Kurt has his own private agenda, but I'll do my best to find out what is it that he wants, besides me, that is," she muttered under her breath.

"Why do I feel like there's more to this than you're letting on?" Rosalie asked.

_That's because there is, _I wanted to say, but instead, I said, "Because I'm not leaving Lizzie, nor Anna behind,"

"Neither am I," Jasper added.

Rosalie raised her eyebrows, "Well, that complicates things a bit, don't you think?"

Bella nodded in agreement, "Quite a bit,"

"I don't really care, _Elizabeth_," I threw her a pointed look.

"Think about it Alice," Rosalie said, "If she were to run, they would just keep coming back for her, and if what you say is true then maybe even us to make sure she stayed for good this time,"

"I. Don't. Care," I knew she was right, but I was not going to leave Bella now that I'd found her.

"Look, Alice," Bella started, "I thought we had agreed I'd take a look into both Aro and Kurt's minds, and then we could decide our course of action right?" she said, "So let me do that first and then we'll see what we can do about Anna and myself, okay?"

I glared at her before grunting a 'yes'.

"Don't worry," she added, "I still need to talk with Demetri. He didn't seem too thrilled with Aro when I saw him. Who knows, maybe there's discontent among the ranks of the Guard?" she mused.

"Divide and conquer?" I whispered.

She smiled.

"Wait a minute," Rose interjected, "We haven't agreed to do anything yet,"

"Rose!" I exclaimed.

"I'm still not entirely convinced she's on our side," she said.

"Rosalie she–"

"She could be lying,"

"She wasn't," Jasper said, "I think I would know if she was,"

She stayed quiet and Carlisle took his chance, "Two of my children believe in you," he told Bella, "And it seems to me Alice made up her mind to bring you back with us ever since she left Forks," he turned to me.

I nodded.

"Why did you do it?" Rose asked me, "Why did you agree to come here with Anna? What made you believe _she_," she pointed at Bella, "hadn't betrayed us? That she was good?"

"I had a vision," I said. I wasn't even lying.

Carlisle nodded his head and, they all relied on my visions so much I knew that was all he needed to hear to make his decision final. "Then it's settled, we'll help you,"

Edward grunted.

_What the hell is his problem?_

"Thank you, Carlisle," Bella said, choosing once more to ignore my brother.

"You're very welcome," he said, although he still looked deep in thought.

Something flashed in Bella's eyes, "He really said that?" she asked my father.

He looked taken aback for a second before saying yes.

"What?" I asked them, but they both shook their heads.

"I think we've been absent long enough," Anna said, before I could try and coach the truth put of them.

"Yeah," Bella agreed, "We'd better go now," she went to extinguish the light from the torches and Anna went to get the hidden door.

Once we were all out, Bella turned to us.

"I trust you can find your way back? I need to go and speak with Demetri at once," she said.

"Yeah, we don't need your help every step of the way,"

I sighed. Edward.

Bella let out a short exasperated breath, before turning to him, "Why do you have to be like this?"

He didn't even look at her.

"It's because I remind you of her, don't I? With you not being able to read my mind at all?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

He growled, meeting her gaze with eyes full of sorrow and anger.

She turned her back on him, "Learn to live with the consequences of your actions, Edward," she said, so softly I had to strain my ears to hear her, "I've learned to deal with mine," she walked off but then stopped, and added as an afterthought, "You know, I might not be around much longer now," she said, "Who knows, maybe you won't have to put up with me anymore once this is over. I don't want to spend the rest of my existence within these walls. But I'm in _so_ deep, that I'm starting to think maybe the only way for me to be free now is to die,"

And as I watched her retreating back, I couldn't help but fear, she'd meant every word she'd said.

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	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys!**

**Okay I know most of you won't read this, but still I need to say it, since it's IMPORTANT!**

**I owe you a big apology for not updating for nearly 3 months, I am deeply sorry but I just couldn't find the time to write, right now I'm using most precious time (that i should be dedicating to work) to write and upload this chapter for you guys, I realize it might not be the greatest, but it's the best I can do for now.**

**I hope I can update sooner this time, don't worry though, I will finish this story.**

**thank you all for sticking around I would appreciate reviews to know you're still with me. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own twilight, Stephenie Meyer does! **

**Btw... the song's called Before the Worst and it's not mine either! it belongs to The Script!**

* * *

**Chapter 26**

**Alice **

My fearful eyes were still fixed upon Bella's retreating form when she stopped mid-walk and tilted her head a little, looking like she was straining to hear something. Suddenly her eyes widened and both Anna and Bella tensed as the sound of a door closing above echoed all around us. They exchanged a look and I saw Anna shake her head in an almost imperceptible way, as Bella's expression turned determined.

"Lizzie?" I called, but Bella lifted a hand to silence me.

My family turned to me, looking puzzled. I just shrugged, not knowing what to say. Was someone coming downstairs? Was that it? After all, we weren't supposed to be here.

"Jane!" an angry voice boomed, "Stop, you _know_ it's no use!"

I noticed Bella shutting her eyes tightly and pursing her lips.

"Oh I know that Dimitri, still why are you in such a hurry for me to stop? From going downstairs as well as trying to use my gift? It wouldn't have anything to do with dear _Elizabeth_ huh?" her voice was mocking.

I frowned and listened for Dimitri's response, but Jane's words were met by silence.

"Wouldn't want her getting _hurt_?" she growled.

As soon as Jane had spat her last inquiry, Bella let out a small cry and stumbled over the first steps that made up the long staircase. She stretched out her arm and leaned heavily on the wall to her right, while clutching her head with her left hand.

"Ah shit!" Anna exclaimed as she hurried to her side.

"_Answer me Dimitri!"_ snarled Jane.

I watched as Bella winced in pain and slid down to the floor with her back pressed against the wall. Both her arms were wrapped tightly around her middle now, as if they were keeping her from falling apart. I started forward but stopped suddenly when I heard Jasper's sharp intake of breath.

"Jazz!" I exclaimed, taking a hold of him and motioning for Carlisle to come close.

Carlisle's eyes were confused and he was frowning, he turned to me, as if he sensed I somehow knew what this was all about.

"It's Jane! Lizzie has her shield around Dimitri as well and it's hurting her. Straining her shield hurt's her just as much as using other people's powers" Carlisle looked shocked and preoccupied at my revelation and I felt a pang of guilt inside of me, after all, what I'd just told him wasn't entirely true, still I wasn't sure what was really happening around me so I made a mental note to fully explain Bella's struggle once I understood what was going on.

I heard a pain filled moan and turned my attention to Jasper expecting his eyes to be shut, but instead found him staring at Bella, she was breathing heavily now and her head was buried between her knees. Anna was kneeling beside her, whispering words of comfort and no doubt giving her a piece of her mind, but never touching her. This puzzled me. Whenever I'd seen Anna trying to reason with Bella she usually tried to _shake_ some sense into her. But now it looked as if she was doing everything she could not to touch her.

"Go," Jasper whispered and my eyes found his. "Go," he said again, I nodded hating myself for leaving him, and headed for Bella.

I could still hear Dimitri's voice as he continued trying to persuade Jane to leave.

"Lizzie? What's going on?" she just shook her head.

"Anna," I tried, seeing as Bella was probably beyond speaking now.

"She's gonna die" she said through gritted teeth.

I froze. I heard a few gasps behind me and out of the corner of my eye I could see my family come closer, all but Carlisle and Jasper. I briefly noticed he seemed to feel better now that Carlisle had moved him farther away.

"Anna…" Bella muttered.

"What? You _know_ you'll die if you keep this up!" Anna's tightly clenched fists were shaking, from anger or fear I didn't know. As for myself, I'd stopped breathing already, feeling the panic crawling underneath my skin.

"I'm fine…" Bella wheezed.

Her attempt at reassuring only upset Anna even more than she already was.

"No! _You're not_!" she hissed, "And you won't be unless you _stop_ using other people's abilities!" she all but screamed.

"What?" I exclaimed, what other ability? I had thought changing her appearance didn't bother her as much.

"Why else do you think no one's heard the ruckus down here?" Anna said.

_God Bella! _I thought. Was she somehow concealing all the noise we were making?

"Is she–"

"_Where is she_ _Dimitri!_" Jane raged on, upstairs.

"Damn you Jane," Bella muttered, she was clutching her head so tightly I wondered if she was hurting herself.

I reached out for her but Anna grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"Why?" I asked.

I didn't understand why she wouldn't touch Bella. Her eyes became guarded and she hesitated.

"Anna," I snapped, loosing my patience. My best friend was being overcome by pain right beside me and I wasn't allowed to comfort her? I needed a good enough reason.

"She–" Anna started but her words were drowned by Jane's furious snarl and a scream so full of pain it broke my heart. It took me a second to realize that it was two people screaming. Both Bella and Dimitri's voices were laced in one beautiful and agonizing wail.

That could only mean one thing.

Bella had lost her hold of her shield.

It all happened very fast then.

I jerked my hand free of Anna's grasp and went to take Bella's arm ignoring the redhead's alarmed expression. As soon as my hand made contact with her skin I felt a wave of nausea wash over me and the room we were at became a blur before disappearing altogether.

_I was standing in a hallway lined up by hundreds of lockers and full of teenagers. _

_I was standing in a high school. _

_I didn't understand. How did I get here? I stood in plain view of anyone who cared enough to look but was swiftly ignored by every single human that crossed my path. No one seemed to notice me. A lone girl looking lost. It was like being invisible._

"_Hey! You coming or what?"_

_My head immediately turned towards the boy that had just spoken. I knew that voice._

_Bryan. _

_But he wasn't the Bryan I knew; he looked more… boyish, younger. My eyes followed his line of vision and I gasped at what I saw there._

_A handsome boy with dark hair and grey eyes stood apart from the other students, and was embracing a beautiful vampire, Lizzie._

_Jason, I thought._

_Was I somehow, inside Bella's memories? How did this happen?_

"_My beautiful Bella," he whispered to her ear, and they shared a secret smile. It made me think that, if I was right and I was watching Bella's past, then Jason already knew Bella's true nature._

"_Yes, yes, we know your Italian is perfect Jason," an oblivious Bryan said in a bored yet light tone, "But if you two keep this up we'll be late…again!" he added, "I don't know about you, but I'd hate to be stuck in detention with Mr. Barry this afternoon," with that he turned around and walked away._

_Both Jason and Lizzie made a face, "You know he's right," Lizzie said._

"_We could always ditch…" he trailed off suggestively a small smirk on his face._

_I saw a shadow cross Lizzie's face but it was gone before Jason could notice anything was amiss. "I could ditch, seeing as this isn't my first time in senior year, you on the other hand, would be missing out on what could be a once in a lifetime lesson," she said, sarcasm heavy in her voice._

"_Oh yes, I forget you're an old woman, who's aced her way through high school quite a few times already," he grinned._

_She broke away from him still smiling, and started in the direction Bryan had gone, and turning her head back she said, "But you love me for it," before making her way down the now empty hallway._

_Jason's features softened and he smiled as he watched her retreating back, "That I do," he whispered, surely knowing that Lizzie could still hear him. _

_I was about to follow when I felt a sudden pull in the opposite direction, then everything turned black._

"Alice! Alice!"

_I thought I heard a voice calling my name, but it quieted as soon as I opened my eyes._

_The scenery had changed, and this time I was in no high school. I was on the backseat of a parked car, Jason was at the wheel and Lizzie sat in the passenger's seat._

_The tension that hung between both of them was almost palpable. _

"_They're coming for me," Lizzie broke the silence._

"_Who's coming for you?" Jason asked after a moment, his voice tight._

"_The people I told you would sooner or later come,"_

"_You mean Kurt and his coven?" his eyes narrowed._

"_Yes,"_

_There was something off in Lizzie's demeanor, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it._

_Jason nodded and remained silent before speaking again. "What are we going to do?"_

_She turned to him, "We," she motioned back and forth between them, "Are not going to do anything," she said, her voice full of conviction._

"_What do you mean?" Jason's voice was carefully controlled. _

"_I mean exactly what you think I mean," Lizzie said._

_I expected Jason to flip out, but he surprised me by staying quiet and facing forward, his eyes fixed on a spot. _

"_I think…" Lizzie's voice quivered and she took a deep breath. I knew what was coming. "I think, we should go our separate ways Jason," she turned to face him, "At least until this is all over, it's too dangerous for a human to be caught in the middle of it" _

"_You could change me," he said._

_But Lizzie shook her head, "No,"_

"_Why not? We've already talked about this, right after the trip to Dublin, you said if I wanted to, then one day you would, and we could truly be together" he was looking at her now._

"_I'm not going to change you,"_

_Silence._

"_You don't really want to change me do you?" Jason said after a moment of consideration, his eyes betrayed how hurt he was by this assumption. "You don't want me,"_

_Lizzie and I winced at his choice of words._

_She reached out and took a hold of one of his hands, "Of course I want you Jason," she whispered, "More than anything in this world I want you," I could see it in her eyes that she meant it, "But once you're changed, there's no going back, there's no second chance, and I don't want you to make such a decision based on fear,"_

"_I want to be strong enough to protect you for the rest of our lives. What use is it then, to promise to always be there for you? I can't do that if I'm a weak human!" he exclaimed._

_Lizzie gave him a sad smile, "You'd be writhing in pain for three days, long enough for Kurt to find us and do whatever he came here to do, and it would be months, maybe years before you could control yourself well enough to be surrounded by humans," she said, "I cannot change you now,"_

"_So you're saying I'd be a burden?" he said, turning stiff. "That you'd be better off on your own? Is that it? Were you just using me all this time?"_

_Lizzie's eyes widened as she realized Jason had taken her words the wrong way, "No Jason that's not–"_

"_Am I a replacement after all? Maybe you wish I was him then?"_

"_No! Jason–" _

"_Although I don't understand why, seeing as he was the one who left you in the first place!" _

_As soon as the words had left his mouth Jason seemed to realize what he was saying and his eyes became wide. Lizzie's however were closed._

"_I…" he started but Lizzie shook her head, and turned her vacant gaze to him. She placed an object on the dashboard. My jaw dropped when I saw what it was: an engagement ring._

"_If that's what you really think of me, then I have nothing left to say," I still couldn't wrap my head around the ring, and I felt my heart breaking…again, at the sound of her broken voice. "Goodbye Jason," she whispered and stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind her, before running away, faster than Jason's eyes could follow._

_Darkness again._

_I looked around and noticed I was once again, surrounded by teenagers. Though this time around I was standing inside come sort of auditorium, in the middle of what seemed to be a talent show._

_My eyes scanned the crowd and I spotted Lizzie sitting in the third row. Her eyes were fixed on the stage and once my eyes traveled there I could see why. There were a few boys with some instruments in a neat formation, but it was Jason who stood center stage with a keyboard and a mike just in front of him._

"_Hey everybody," he said leaning close to the mike, "You all know I'm a transfer student, and I wanted to share something with you" his eyes jumped around from face to face until they found what they were looking for. "Something that happened back home in Dublin, and some very special memories of mine. I hope you enjoy,"_

_I watched as Lizzie tried to remain expressionless but I could see through her efforts. She was struggling with her emotions._

_There was clapping and cheering all around and then the lights dimmed and everyone became silent as Jason hit the first keys to the song he was about to perform._

_I saw him close his eyes and feel the music as he began to sing._

_**It's been a while since the two of us talked**_

_**About a week since the day you walked**_

_**Knowing things would never be the same**_

_**With your empty heart and mine full of pain**_

_**So explain to me, how it came to this**_

_**Take it back to the night we kissed**_

_In a flash I could see them sharing a tender kiss inside a warm bar. A memory within a memory._

_**It was Dublin city on a Friday night**_

_**You were vodkas and coke, I was Guinness all night **_

_His eyes turned and locked with Lizzie's_

_**We were sitting with our backs against the world**_

_**Saying things that we thought but never heard**_

_**Who would have thought it would end up like this?**_

_Her expression then turned pained and she looked away._

_**Where everything we talked about is gone **_

_**And the only chance we have of moving on **_

_**Is trying to take it back **_

_**Before it all went wrong **_

_I watched as both Jason and Lizzie shut their eyes tightly._

_**Before the worst, before we mend **_

_**Before our hearts decide**_

_**It's time to love again **_

_**Before too late, before too long **_

_**Lets try to take it back **_

_**Before it all went wrong **_

_**There was a time, that we'd stay up all night**_

_**Best friends talking till the daylight **_

_**Took the joys alongside the pain**_

_**With not much to loose, but so much to gain**_

_**Are hearing me? Cause I don't wanna miss,**_

_**Set you adrift on memory bliss **_

_**It was Grafton Street on a rainy night **_

_**I was down on one knee and you where mine for life **_

_Another flash and it was raining, Jason was soaking, down on one knee. _

"_Will you marry me, my Bella?" he said._

"_Yes," she smiled radiantly, raindrops making up for the joyful tears she couldn't cry "A thousand times yes,"_

_**We we're thinking we would never be apart **_

_**With your name tattooed across my heart **_

_I shook my head disoriented, I was back in the auditorium and my mind was still trying to process what I'd just seen, so I pushed it to the back of my mind and just focused on the boy singing on stage._

_**Who would have thought it would end up like this?**_

_**Where everything we talked about is gone **_

_**And the only chance we have of moving on **_

_**Is trying to take it back **_

_**Before it all went wrong**_

_As I watched Jason putting everything he had into his words, I realized this was his sincere apology for all the things he'd said. And as I turned my attention to Lizzie once again, I was sure she knew as well._

_**Before the worst, before we mend **_

_**Before our hearts decide**_

_**It's time to love again **_

_**Before too late, before too long **_

_**Lets try to take it back **_

_**Before it all went wrong **_

_**If the clouds don't clear**_

_**Then we'll rise above it, we'll rise above it**_

_**Heavens gate is so near**_

_**Come walk with me through **_

_**Just like we used to, just like we used to**_

_Both Lizzie and Jason's eyes were filled with longing as they gazed at each other, and I could see a message pass between them. _

_Forgiveness._

_Understanding._

_Love._

_**Lets take it back **_

_**Before it all went wrong **_

_**Before the worst, before we mend **_

_**Before our hearts decide**_

_**It's time to love again **_

_**Before too late, before too long **_

_**Lets try to take it back **_

_**Before it all went wrong**_

_Everyone standing up, clapping and cheering like mad and hoping to capture Jason's attention, but he only had eyes for the lone vampire girl that was making her way outside._

_Then images and voices started to flash by._

_Jason and Lizzie by the edge of a forest._

"_I'm so sorry Liz,"_

"_I didn't mean to–" she cried._

"_I was so scared," he whispered._

"_I love you," they both said._

_Lizzie; surrounded by oaks and pine trees._

_Her horrified expression, and the panic in her eyes at the agonizing scream that echoed through the woods._

_Kurt's mocking smile._

_Jason's broken body._

_Fire._

"_JASON!"_

"Alice!"

I gasped for breath twice and it took me a while to see that Anna was holding my wrist and I was back in Volterra.

"What the hell did just happen to her?" Rosalie hissed, her was gaze fixed on Anna who released me from her grip.

I turned my eyes to Bella. She was no longer screaming, nor she appeared to be in too much pain, but it was the intense look in her eyes as we stared at each other that surprised me most.

She knew what I'd seen; she knew what had happened even if I didn't understand it myself.

"Jane," I heard a new voice upstairs, Aro, "How many times do I have to tell you not to start a fight within the walls of our home?"

"I'm sorry, my Lord,"

"Now if it will appease you," he continued, "I will go down the stairs myself and confirm there's nothing to worry about as Dimitri so kindly suggested,"

All of us stiffened.

"Just don't move," Bella whispered, "And stop breathing, if you can help it,"

We all did as she said without questioning further and waited for Aro to finish his descent.

When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs he took a look around and I knew he'd seen us. He couldn't help but see us.

But to my surprise, he circled the room his eyes sweeping over the nine of us without ever acknowledging our presence. Then his stride carried him to where we were currently situated and I was certain that he would discover us, for surely no matter what Bella was doing, Aro would notice there was something amiss when he bumped into an invisible obstacle.

Still my surprise turned to astonishment as Aro walked by Rosalie and right _through_ a freaked out Emmett on his way back to the flight of stairs. As if he wasn't really there.

My jaw dropped as I heard his next words.

"There's nothing down here but dust and spiders Jane dear," he said as he ascended, "We should send someone to clean up every once in a while,"

We all stayed frozen until Dimitri, Aro and Jane's footsteps could no longer be heard.

Then Bella released a deep breath and rested her head against the wall.

That was our cue to start moving again.

"He freaking_ walked_ through me!" Emmett exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Carlisle stepped forward and addressed Anna, noticing Bella wasn't in the state to answer any questions. "Could you please explain to us, what happened just now?"

Anna took a deep breath and squeezed Bella's hand before standing up to answer Carlisle's question.

"Just as Alice told you a few moments ago, Lizzie had her shield around Dimitri, and since Jane was trying to use her gift at the same time Liz was trying to conceal us, making us unnoticeable by using another borrowed ability," she paused, "She overexerted herself," she pursed her lips.

"Does this happen very often?" Carlisle asked.

"No, it doesn't" was her only response.

"And what happened with Alice?"

"You knew something would happen, didn't you?" I asked her before she had a chance to answer.

She made a face and I knew I was right, "That's why you wouldn't let me touch her…why _you_ wouldn't touch her," I couldn't help but sound accusing.

She sighed and her eyes wandered briefly to Bella before meeting mine, "I told you this doesn't happen very often, I'm only guessing, but a few days ago, back in the forest near your house," she said, "Something very much like this happened and I rushed to her aid…" she paused, "But when I touched Lizzie…when I touched her I felt this rush of energy course through me and suddenly there was this gust of cold wind, almost like a blizzard and everything within a three mile radius lay covered with ice, frozen on the spot,"

"What?" Jasper asked from behind me, now that Bella wasn't in so much pain, he could bear to be near her.

"We think," she started, "We think that when she uses all that power, all that energy, her body becomes overloaded, and when it comes to contact with another vampire…" she trailed off.

"The other vampire's ability amplifies," I finished, catching on to her train of thought. Now it was all starting to make sense. I had really been in Bella's memories. I'd seen the past.

She nodded, "Now, I knew that whatever could happen if you touched her, couldn't be as bad as if I did," she said, and by the slight tremor in her voice I could tell she'd hated not being able to comfort Bella in her time of need, "Still I thought it best not to let anyone touch her," she shrugged.

"What did you see?" Carlisle asked me.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Edward beat me to the punch.

"The past," he said.

"What?" asked Esme.

"You saw it too?" I exclaimed bewildered, "How?" I asked Anna.

She gestured helplessly, "Lizzie lost hold of her shield for a moment before putting it back up, and it must've allowed Edward to gaze into your mind,"

I felt my stomach churn nervously.

"What did you see?" I asked him.

"The school, the car and the auditorium," was all he said, for once, respecting Bella's privacy. Those words meant nothing to my family, but I knew Bella appreciated Edward's silence and reluctance to share anything else.

I felt immediate relief at his revelation though. Not because I didn't want him to know Bella was right under his nose, but because I feared what his reaction to her engagement might be.

I noticed Bella looking at me.

I frowned, "You said yes," I whispered. I knew she knew what I meant, her right thumb and index immediately found her ring finger.

"I know," she whispered back, meeting my gaze with her sad, tired eyes. She struggled to stand and Anna helped her steady herself. Once she seemed ready, she turned to give her full attention to Carlisle and addressed the whole family, "Now, I really do need to talk with Dimitri," she took a deep breath, "I trust you'll all be okay right? No one will bother you while you're here as long as you're not causing any trouble, Aro wouldn't dare,"

Carlisle nodded, "Yes, you need not worry,"

"All right," Bella said, "I'll come look for you once I'm done, so we can discuss your schedule for your stay and hopefully quicken your departure," with that she turned around and with Anna's help they both disappeared as they climbed the long flight of stairs, leaving us to our somewhat confused and troubled thoughts.

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**Thank you all for reading and bearing with me, I know this is kind of a filler, but don't forget to tell me what you think!**


	27. Chapter 27

**And she's alive!**

**I'm not gonna waste anyone's time apologizing and rambling about how sorry I am (even though I am, I truly and sincerely am sorry) to have let you hanging there, but just in case you're wondering WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? Well, life happened, my little brother got very sick last year and between spending my time worrying and working myself to death in class and work well, let's just say fanfiction was the last thing on my mind.**

**And I promised myself I wouldn't say anything, but now that I'm here, I guess it's a promise I'll have to break.**

**To the "u fuckhead" reviewer, WOW, no need for that language, I don't know if you'll read this, I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't really care, but if you expect to get somewhere in this life addressing people the way you did me, let me just tell you this, you're in for surprise. **

**That being said again, so sorry for the extremely long wait, believe me, the last thing I wanted to do was to leave you guys without a finished story, so I'll try my best to finish it as soon as it's possible to me.**

**If you're still out there and take the time to read this, thank you, I know it's a little short but I hope it doesn't disappoint.**

* * *

**Lizzie/Bella POV**

"What the _hell_ Bella?" Anna hissed as soon as the Cullens were out of hearing range, while taking my arm and forcing me to look at her.

"I know, I know," I sighed, my limbs shaking, "But please Anna, not now. I'm so tired," I whispered sluggishly, barely keeping my eyes open, "And I really meant what I just said. I _must_ talk to Demetri at once,"

Even in my current state of mind, I could see the struggle in her ruby eyes. I knew what I just did had done more than upset her, but it had been necessary to get out of there unscathed, she knew that, and it unnerved her. A couple of seconds went by before she reluctantly swallowed up whatever she'd been about to say to me and instead took my hand and dragged me down the hall.

"This better be worth it, Bella," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head, "This better be worth it," she said.

And as she led me away, I couldn't help but wonder whether she was only talking about the meeting with Demetri.

* * *

**Alice POV**

Silence hung upon my family like a huge blanket that was bent on suffocating the whole lot of us. My eyes carefully wandered over my shaken siblings and parents until they came to rest upon the spot Lizzie had occupied mere moments before.

"_She's gonna die!" _

Anna's words echoed inside of my head. My hands shook as I recalled Lizzie's breakdown; her pain, her screams, the helplessness that overwhelmed me when I realized I could do nothing to help her. It wasn't until this very moment that I realized just how dangerous Bella's medallion really was, and just how much it was costing her to protect us. It was almost too much. The sense of shock I was still experiencing however, stirred my thoughts in another direction.

She'd said yes.

_She'd. Freaking. Said. Yes._

My mind kept replaying Bella's memories over and over again like a broken record. Jason kneeling before her in the pouring rain, the happiness on her face when she accepted his proposal, her sorrow at the loss of yet another love.

I chanced a glance at Edward, worried that he might've noticed anything else other than Lizzie's flashbacks and was preparing to do something stupid. He looked tired and lost in thought, his eyes unfocused. There was no way that he knew the truth, he would've tried to kill me already for not telling him right away that Bella had been right under our noses these past few days.

_Maybe it's better he doesn't know,_ I thought, if Bella had indeed, moved on I didn't know how Edward would react, I didn't really want to know.

It was Jasper's hand on my shoulder that shook me off my thoughts. I turned to him and he put his arms around me, pulling me close. "It's going to be okay love," he whispered spreading a sense of peace all around us. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see everyone slowly beginning to relax.

"I guess we should listen to Elizabeth then," Carlisle said, finally deciding to break the silence, "There's probably not much we can do right now anyway but wait," he sighed reaching out a hand for Esme to take.

"So we'll do nothing then?" Rosalie asked, bewilderment flashing across her features. "Seriously?"

"I don't like it anymore than you do, Rosalie," Carlisle began, his voice tired, "But at this point, I not sure there's anything else we can do but hope Lizzie can work something out with Demetri and see what she finds in Aro and Kurt's minds," he continued, "Until then, we must remain calm and collected, all right?" he added looking at each and everyone of us before his gaze locked with Rosalie's.

She held his gaze for a moment before nodding reluctantly and taking a hold of Emmett's hand. They both bid their goodbyes and left the way we'd come. On the other hand, Carlisle and Esme exchanged a relieved glance, no doubt grateful that an argument with Rosalie hadn't taken place. They were behind my siblings in a second.

Jasper however shot me a glance while letting his arms drop to his sides. He slightly jerked his head in Edward's direction and raised a perfect questioning eyebrow.

"Edward?" I sighed softly, "Are you alright?" I asked taking a step closer to him. He was hunched and I couldn't help but notice he looked, defeated. As if he'd just lost a fight in which he hadn't been aware he was an active participant. When he didn't answer I called to him again, this time around his eyes did meet mine, and what I saw there scared me. It scared me to death. Edward's once joyful topaz irises where full of unimaginable pain and self-hatred.

"Ed–"

"I've been an idiot," he interrupted me, "So blind," he frowned.

For a moment I froze ready to explain to my sibling at a second's notice, why was it that I hadn't told him the truth about Bella. This is what I had been afraid of. I wondered for a brief moment if I'd made the right choice keeping Bella's survival a secret from my family. It didn't matter now anyway, so I braced myself for Edward's tirade and rage, but it never came. Instead he dropped to the floor and buried his face in his hands.

"Edward?" I whispered, approaching him slowly, as you would a wounded and scared predator. I could feel Jasper's presence close behind me, ready to pounce if necessary. I didn't understand why Edward hadn't made a move to rip my head off yet. Not that I wasn't grateful, but still I didn't understand. "What's wrong Edward?" I ventured, crouching in front of him.

"All this time I resented her," he said, his words muffled by his hands, "I resented her because she reminded me of Bella," he barely said the name, "I took it all out on her and all this time she was suffering like I was, like I still am," he shook his head in disbelief.

His words left me astounded, he really didn't know Lizzie was Bella; she must have each and every one of us in separate shields for Edward not to realize that. I shuddered at the amount of energy and concentration that alone must be costing her. Edward must also have been pretty overwhelmed with her memories not to notice she was Bella when her shields came down a few moments ago.

"Edward, you knew Lizzie had loved a human and lost him, in the most brutal way" I started, "How could you not realize that she was suffering? You didn't think she was capable of loving someone just as much as you loved Bella?" I asked, my voice and eyes incredulous.

"She was gonna get married," he carried on as if I hadn't spoken a word, as if he was suddenly in a world of his own, to far for me to reach for him "She wanted a future just like the one I wanted with my Bella, and just like me, she never got to have it," his voice shook as the words slowly left his mouth, his eyes in a faraway place, one where Bella got to walk down the aisle dressed in white, with Charlie by her side, right into Edward's arms. "Her dreams were ripped away from her just like mine were when my Bella di–" he stopped, "When she–" he stopped again and shut his eyes, wincing and choking on his words.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw my husband flinch his discomfort at Edward's pain. "You and her have much more in common than you think Edward," I whispered soothingly, that much was true. I had never in my long existence met two people more alike and yet so different. I thought about both their stubbornness and thick heads and I had to stifle a chuckle despite the situation.

"It wasn't until I saw it with my very own eyes that I believed it, you know?" he said, looking at me for the first time since he'd sat. "I didn't really believe someone could love a human as fiercely as I loved Bella, but she did, she loved Jason just as much, maybe even more" he whispered, amazed. "I could see it in her face, hear it in her voice," he began to shake his head again, "I could almost feel her pain as she screamed for him in her memories. It was almost like loosing Bella all over again."

"I just," he began, "It hurts, so much, I can't help but think of her every time I see Lizzie. It's like they're the same you know? They're so alike," he whispered and I swallowed hard at his words, suddenly nervous. He turned to look at me, "Do you think that's what Bella felt when I left her all alone in those woods?" he asked quietly as if afraid of what my answer would be.

_Oh boy, did I know? _

"I don't know Edward," I lied, feeling guiltier with every word that came out, "But judging by Lizzie's recounting of past events, Bella's life wasn't really that much of a fairytale after we left," I said, "More like a nightmare," I muttered dejectedly, realizing a little too late that was probably not the best thing to say to my conflicted brother.

He shuddered, lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Lizzie's feelings were the same as yours were Edward," Jasper said, "She loved Jason very much, but surprisingly she loves us as well, even if I don't understand how can she after everything that's happened. I know now that I've stopped being so paranoid and suspicious, that her intentions are sincere, they've always been," he said, looking down at him.

Edward just nodded his head in acceptance; he knew Jasper was telling the truth, even if he too didn't understand exactly what was the cause of Lizzie's feelings and actions towards us.

"She really cares about protecting this family Edward, so much that she would actually be willing to die for us and throw her life away. I've seen it with my own eyes," I continued, "Do you understand, Edward?" I searched his face for some sort of recognition of my words and was rewarded by his determined gaze.

"I couldn't save Bella when she needed me the most," he said, standing on his feet again and taking me up with him. I sighed and regarded him sadly, wishing I could break my promise and spill the truth to my brother right then and there. I knew how much it cost him to accept he had failed Bella, that we all had failed her. But despite his troubled thoughts he stood tall and managed to look graceful and dangerous at the same time, "But we will save Lizzie from her fate, she won't throw her life away. We won't let it come to that, _I_ won't let it come to that," he added his voice full of steel.

A grin found its way to my face.

Finally, my brother was back.

* * *

**Lizzie/Bella POV**

We had reached Demetri's chamber in record time. Anna must have been really pissed at me because she didn't even knock on the door when she came to stand in front of it and chose to yank it open and push me inside, making me stumble right into the arms of Demetri.

"I take it you're still mad at me?" I inquired.

"What ever gave you that idea huh?" she retorted while she sat on the bed and crossed her legs, "Talk," she pointed to and fro between Demetri and myself, "Now,"

I cleared my throat and Demetri immediately let go of me. "Thank you," I whispered, "For just now and what you did at the Plaza, I didn't mean to stop singing all of a sudden," I continued, I really was very grateful for Demetri's actions, even if I didn't really know how was it that he seemed to be on my side now. I didn't even now I had a side.

"It's nothing Elizabeth," he began.

"It's Lizzie," I cut him off with a smile he returned.

"Lizzie," he said, "It's been a while since I had to improvise in public, it was a nice change of pace in a world where everything seems to go perfectly,"

I laughed, "Oh please tell me how I get to be a part of that world," I chuckled with a touch of bitterness, "'Cause in mine things are everything but perfect."

He let out a small laugh and even Anna managed to crack a small smile before we sobered up.

"I really am sorry, that you're back," he said quietly, gazing into my eyes.

"Yeah," I sighed, "Me too," and as I looked into his eyes a million questions sprang to my mind, I really couldn't believe I was about to try and plot against the Volturri with one of their most precious and loyal members of the Guard. I wanted to ask him everything, how was it that he changed his diet? How come he was suddenly defending me? Looking out for me? What had happened between him and Aro that made him act so cold towards the Head of the Volturri? I wanted to ask him everything and more but instead chose to ask him the most important question of all. I wasn't sure how this was gonna end, but Demetri was my only chance at saving the Cullens, so I steeled myself and took a leap.

"I want the Cullens out of Volterra, no matter what Aro says, or wants, I want them safe and out of here as soon as posible" I said all in one breath, my eyes never leaving Demetri's face. He said nothing. "To accomplish that, I need your help," I paused, "Will you help me?"

"You have a lot of nerve asking me that," came his soft reply. He crossed the room in a few strides and stopped, turning his back on me. "What makes you think I will?"

I glanced at Anna and she nodded, "I know you kept in contact with Anna after she left," I noticed Demetri's stance change and become tense so I carried on quickly, "She's never told me what you two talked about, but when I was staying with the Cullens she told me that you were the reason she knew of the happenings in Volterra and the Brother's movements, and she said something that made me believe you could, maybe consider helping me. Something I've come to notice since my arrival" I became quiet, so as to let my words sink in, "You're not happy here," I said.

It was a couple of minutes before Demetri answered, "Your right," he said, "I'm not happy here," he turned slightly in his spot facing me once again.

"May I ask why?"

He took a deep breath and sighed as he settled on the red sofa that was opposite of his bed. He locked both of his hands and directed his gaze to meet mine.

"It happened a few years after you both had left, I had kept in contact with Anna because despite our different views on this world I considered her a good friend, one that I would not loose to the wrath of the Three Brothers," he said, "It was feeding day, and Heidi had come back home with a large group of humans, we were all so thirsty, and I could barely wait to sink my teeth in whichever human crossed my path first," he continued his eyes on a distant memory, "Then I saw her," he breathed, "She was so beautiful, and she looked so afraid," he frowned his eyes becoming pained, "She didn't look older than five, and she was the spitting image of my baby sister,"

I felt my throat constrict just a little at seeing Demetri so vulnerable. I didn't know he had a sister.

"I made a split second decision then," he carried on, "I wouldn't let anyone hurt that little girl. I got her in time and managed to get her out of that room but not before the screams began," his eyes darkened as he remembered what happened that day. "She was so afraid and I held her the best I could all the while trying to sort out my thoughts which fluttered between the fear of crushing her accidentally and the confusion I felt towards my own actions," he shook his head and broke our eye contact, focusing his eyes on a spot right behind me.

"Aro noticed my absence and wasted no time in setting out to find me, and when he did, and I explained as best I could what I had done, he smiled," he shook his head, "He smiled and said he understood, that he would allow the girl," he swallowed, "Sophie," he said the name softly as if it was the most precious thing in his world, "To stay within the walls of the castle for she couldn't leave now that she knew our secret, I did everything I could to make her stay a happy one. I took care of her and she trusted me,"

My heart began to break for him right then. I hadn't heard anything about this Sophie before and since my coming to Volterra and as I glanced at Anna I noticed the somber look upon her face and sighed, this story had no happy ending.

"She was only here about six months," Demetri said, his voice had acquired a monotonous quality, "Until Aro came one morning to give me the news," his fists were tightly clenched, "Sophie was dead,"

If I could cry I would, "Demetri I'm so–"

"Don't," he quickly said, "Please don't say you're sorry, I couldn't take it, not after I let you suffer like you did the first time you were here,"

"Okay," I managed to croak out. I couldn't begin to imagine Demetri's pain, that poor little girl. A sudden white-hot hatred towards the Volturri surged through me, burning as it had never burned before. I wanted to end Aro, and I wanted to do it soon.

"I knew it was no accident that Sophie was dead," he said, "So, for what they did to Sophie, I'll help you," his eyes burned bright with the light from the room but also with an unmatched determination, "We'll make them pay,"

I felt elated that he was going to help us, that he really was on my side, but I couldn't help but worry, "I know I'm supposed to have come kind of a plan," I said, "But I don't," I whispered.

"Don't worry Lizzie," he smiled for the first time since he began his story, "I know something you don't, and I know what to do,"

And for the first time since I'd arrived at this horrible city, I felt hope.

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**I would appreciate it if you took the time to review to know if you're still here, so I can know if it's gonna be worth my time finishing this up.**

**Thank you all!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello guys,**

**I can't really tell you how deeply sorry I am to have let you all hanging there, I have no excuse other that an almighty writer's block and well, life.**

**I will continue to update this story, hopefully regularly now that I have some time to myself, we are nearing the end now so it won't be long now till this one's finally finished.**

**Hopefully a few of you are still around, and even if there's only one, I'll finish it up for that person.**

**Thank you all for reading, it's a little short, but its a start.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

* * *

**Edward's POV **

I smiled at both my siblings. Alice looked ecstatic at my sudden change of attitude and Jasper wore a small lopsided grin. My smile grew wider. It was about time I stopped brooding and actually did something with my existence. I'd been so stupid until now, all my decisions clouded by grief. I felt like an idiot. It seemed like every choice I'd made since I left Forks and uprooted my family that fateful day had been the wrong one. The worst being leaving Bella behind, followed closely by letting Sabrina into our lives.

In a way, this was all my fault, but I would fix this. Even if it was the last thing I did I _would_ fix this.

For Bella, for my family, for Lizzie, but most of all for me.

I would do this for me too, because I didn't like who I was now. This person I'd been living as was not who Bella fell in love with all those years ago. She wouldn't have liked what I'd become and honestly neither did I. I would be the person I'd always wanted to be, someone who did the right thing, someone worthy of love, someone good. Someone Bella would've been proud of.

The person I always felt I could be with her by my side.

So with newfound resolve I took a deep breath, locking gazes with my pixie-like sister, "What's next now Alice?"

Her eyes twinkled and she opened her mouth to reply but before she could even make a sound a new voice cut through the air.

"What's next boy is you helping me get what I want,"

My head whipped around to face Kurt and the rest of his coven. All standing there, silent statues regarding us with cold eyes. I couldn't believe he'd sneaked up on us like this. "You!" I exclaimed my eyes narrowing "What the hell are you talking about!", even as the words left my mouth, Jasper was already positioning himself between Alice and our newcomers, crouching in a defensive position.

Kurt chuckled darkly, "You heard me boy!" he replied, his eyes burning with desire. For what exactly, I didn't know, but it made me nervous and put me on edge.

"You must be mad if you think you're getting help from any of us," I growled, my hands clenching into fists that were soon trembling by my sides. _How dare he think we'd want anything to do with him when he threatened my family? When he'd made it clear he was after Alice?_

His smile only turned more sinister, his confidence never wavering. He gazed at me for a few seconds before his eyes turned to my sister. Jasper growled deeply in warning and I stepped to his side blocking Alice even further from Kurt's view. "We won't be joining you anytime soon, and you certainly won't take my sister" I snarled, barely able to contain my anger now. His attitude was unsettling but his answer surprised me even more.

"It's not your sister I want," he replied, "Not anymore. I found something infinitely better," his eyes were bright with maddening excitement. "Why have Alice look into the future for me," he continued "When I can do it myself?"

_What the hell was he talking about?_

I felt Alice tense behind us and she let out a small gasp.

Kurt's maniac laugh echoed through the hall, sending involuntary shivers down my spine. Something was wrong here, very wrong. I had a feeling I was missing something very important, the key to all this mess and until I knew what it was I could probably do little to get out of this situation. _I wish I could read his mind._

"Your sister has been more help than I ever could've hoped for lad," he said once his laughter had died down. I was even more confused now. _How had Alice helped this lunatic? _I felt Alice tense again and out of the corner of my eye I could see she was having a vision. When she came out of it, she looked horrified.

"No" she whispered breathlessly, shaking her head vehemently.

"Yes, Alice," Kurt countered, "Your conversation with dear…_Elizabeth_" he sneered, "Was not as private as you thought it was"

"No," she whispered again, "No, it cannot be,"

"Alice?" I called her, waiting for some kind of explanation for this, never tearing my eyes off Kurt. But my call was met by silence.

"Shall you explain Alice dear?" Kurt's voice rang out, "Or should I?" he smirked.

Alice still seemed to be too preoccupied by whatever it was that she'd seen, "I…I…I cou–I couldn't…I ca–"

"It's ok lass," Kurt interrupted Alice's unusual stuttering. "I'll do it then." He turned to me then and began approaching us slowly, step by step. "You see lad, Elizabeth has a dirty little secret, a secret your two siblings" he jerked his head to Jasper and Alice as he continued his approach, "Have been keeping under wraps,"

I frowned, my eyes flickering back to Jasper only to find his expression tense and worried, his eyes were dark, his jaw was clenched and he looked wary of every word that had been coming out of Kurt's mouth. My frown deepened. _What did these two know, that I didn't?_

"You see, Edward," Kurt said coming to a stop a couple of feet away from me, "Elizabeth isn't really who she says she is," he paused and grinned before he continued.

"She's–"

"No!" Alice's panicked cry cut him off. I turned to look at her but her eyes were glued to Kurt, pleading. I didn't understand. My gaze turned back to Kurt and found him chuckling, and staring at Alice as if she was the most amusing thing in God's green Earth.

"Oh don't you worry Alice," he said in a soothing but mocking tone, "This conversation wasn't going where you think it was." He shook his head, "No, no, I wouldn't _dare_ spoil the surprise," he added smiling wickedly, still deeply amused by something that escaped me, but clearly meant something to Jasper and Alice. Could it be that their chat with Lizzie had a deeper meaning than what I first thought, or maybe she shared something with them that she wasn't quite ready to tell the rest of us, something she wasn't willing to tell. I felt a quick stab of annoyance at my siblings silence, but I guessed it wasn't their secret to tell.

"You were saying," I murmured, eager to get more information out of him, after all, knowledge is power.

"Curious aren't we?" he teased, but stopped after a threatening growl escaped my chest. I was done being in the dark. "As I was saying before, Elizabeth isn't the vampire she says she is." Again I noticed Jasper and Alice stiffening, "She can use other vampire's abilities as she pleases, anything she wants she could have," he continued. I wasn't impressed, he wasn't telling me anything new. I didn't understand how this related to him being able to see the future.

"Yes, she's told us as much herself," I said impatiently.

"Ah but what she didn't tell you was the source of all these powers" he carried on, his crimson eyes fixed on me.

I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"All that power comes from a single ancient medallion that hangs from her neck," he went on, "And once I take it for myself, all that power will be mine" his expression looked dark, deranged, I didn't want anything to do with this vampire. The moment his eyes met mine again I wished with every fibber of my being that I could suddenly sprout wings and fly my family out of this place, never to come back. I didn't like the way events were turning, and they seemed to be doing it so fast we weren't going to be able to do anything about it. I needed to keep talking, see if I could think of something that would get us out of this mess.

"I don't think Lizzie will be too keen on parting with such an article," I told him, "Specially to the likes of you, what makes you think she'll give it to you?"

"Well that, young Mr. Cullen, is where you and your family come in," he said, "I've known Lizzie for years now and," he paused taking his time to look at all of us before returning his gaze to mine, "I've always found a little… _persuasion_ to elicit quite the response I'm looking for," and in that instant he motioned for his coven to move in. Sabrina and the twins, Victor and Trevor leading the way. We all snarled and were ready to pounce when Kurt's hand shot forward, fire dancing all around it lighting up part of his face in the dark chamber, the orange glow casting sharp shadows on his features.

"Ah, ah, ah, no fighting children," he mocked, wiggling his fingers and making the flames grow in size and intensity. "We wouldn't want you to get hurt now would we? No, we'll save that for later."

And as I watched the flames in Kurt´s hand move and dance wildly and the rest of his coven moved forward to restrain us, I couldn't help but think we were playing with fire, and pretty soon, we were all gonna burn.

* * *

**Lizzie's POV**

Even though I knew I probably shouldn't, I was feeling elated after my meeting with Dimitri. Despite everything, I was over the moon. Finally something I could use to buy our ticket out of here. For the first time since this whole mess began I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We would escape this nightmare.

For I knew Aro's little secret.

And it was more than I could have hoped for. I never cared much about the ruler's stories. I had no interest in getting to know them, or establish any kind of relationship to them, let alone sit down and chit chat about such things as their pasts. So naturally I never thought the answer to all my problems might be just there. Sitting. Lost in a sea of memories and history. Waiting for me to glance back and seize it.

I could've kissed Dimitri.

_"Aro murdered Didyme" _he'd said.

And I almost didn't believe my ears.

_"What!" I sputtered, disbelief coating my voice._

_"You heard me," he replied quietly, reluctant to repeat it._

_My mind was reeling. If I was to believe this nonsense then that meant Aro had killed Marcus' wife, his mate. Despite not knowing the vampire rulers all that much, I knew this probably didn't seat well with Marcus, how could he still be here? How could he stand to be in the presence of that traitorous and manipulative monster and not want to rip his head off? As if Dimitri could read my thoughts he continued._

_"Marcus doesn't know," _

_Ah so that answered my previous question._

_"Why?"_

_He looked at me strangely, "I thought it would be obvious" he said, his face confused._

_Huh? For a second I felt puzzled before realising my small mistake. I decided to go and ask again, being more specific this time, "Why did Aro kill Didyme? How do you know?" _

_"Oh," he said, understanding dawning upon his features. "I saw it happen," he shrugged, his eyes had a faraway look, his mind was in another place, another time. I waited patiently for him to continue, even though I wanted nothing more than to shake the answers out of him and start formulating a plan as soon as possible._

_I took a quick glance to mi left and saw Anna was deep in thought. Her eyes met mine when she felt my gaze on her and she gave me a small smile in reassurance. We were going down the right path this time._

_I heard Dimitri sigh before speaking again, "It was a very long time ago. You know Marcus has always been a little…odd, when compared to Aro and Caius and well, I would dare say he was, compassionate back in those days when Didyme still lived. That all changed though after her death, he became a shell of what he once was. He no longer appeared to care about anything anymore," he paused for a moment his golden eyes fixed on the floor._

_I couldn't help but feel a connection to the ancient ruler, and I felt…bad for him, after all I knew all to well what he had gone through. It's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Well, maybe Kurt and Aro. _

_"See," Dimitri's voice carried on, "Marcus and Didyme were happy, but not as happy as they could've been apparently, since Didyme suggested to Marcus that they should leave Volterra, travel the world and share the rest of their lives with each other, away from the brutality that the Volturi represented. _

_"Of course this didn't seat well with Aro, especially when Marcus was actually considering Didyme's proposal, he couldn't allow Marcus to leave. It would have disrupted the balance," he sighed and he seemed ashamed, "Aro took action soon after Didyme had spoken the words that would seal her fate." _

_I had a feeling that he didn't just witness what happened, "And you knew about this before it happened," I ventured._

_"Yes," _

_"Were you the only one involved?" _

_"Yes," he nodded, "Aro didn't want anyone else involved, he trusted me to get rid of the body and burn it, put the blame on somebody else,"_

_"And he's let you walk around just like that," I stated incredulously, "knowing his darkest secret," _

_"He's never had a reason to doubt my loyalty, he was the one to turn me and show me this world after all," he shrugged, "Besides, who would ever believe me? It is my word against his," _

_I could see the scene of the killing playing out just as clearly as he could in his mind. Edward's gift was simply fantastic. I realised he could easily trick me, after all, one could lie with their thoughts just as easily as they could with words. But he didn't have any reason to suspect I could read his mind, so he had no reason to lie. I had to admit he was right though. No one would ever believe him except for a fool, and what a fool I was. _

_I grinned at him, "Well then, now that we know this we need a plan," _

_His head whipped around so he could stare at me in disbelief, "You seriously believe me? You're not going to ask for proof?" _

_"I have a feeling you're telling the truth," I replied, not mentioning that Edward's gift gave me all the proof I needed. Now we only had to use this knowledge to blackmail Aro into letting us out of here. If I could erase memories with the medallion, could I somehow project them? How much energy would that take? I decided to test it out._

_"Dimitri, could you please think of that day?" I asked._

_He looked at me confused, "Yes, why?" _

_"Please," I repeated._

_He frowned but closed his eyes anyway, focusing on his memory._

_I tapped into Edward's gift and focused on Dimitri's memory, trying to pull it out make it play out and submerging us all in its depths. I felt the medallion's pull on me and felt myself grow a little bit tired but then I was rewarded by Anna's breathless gasp followed by Dimitri's and when I opened my eyes I was there. _

_We were there, inside Dimitri's head, watching as Aro committed betrayal against his brother. I let go of the power just as Didyme's head fell to the ground, having seen enough._

_"H–How?" Dimitri's eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open._

_I winked, "It's a little secret," I said._

_"Well Bella," Anna said, "You've outdone yourself, is there anything you cannot do?" she questioned shaking her head in disbelief._

_I chuckled, "I don't know," I said, "But it seems to me we have a way to make this work now," I grinned at them both. _

I'd left them both to catch up before heading to meet the Cullens, I was eager to show them what I'd learned and I was feeling giddy at the thought of finally getting out of here. It seemed I would need to expose myself to achieve this, to make Aro believe, it was a risk, but the reward far exceeded the danger I'd put myself into.

I rounded the corner and stopped dead in my tracks at the sight that greeted me.

Alice, Edward and Jasper all being restrained and held back by Kurt's coven, and Kurt, standing there, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Dread filled me as my eyes met Alice's, they were full of fear and panic. Something was very wrong.

"Well hello Lizzie dear," Kurt said taking a step towards me eyeing me hungrily, "We've been expecting you,"

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**Thank you for taking the time to read this, I'd really appreciate it if you'd left word on your thoughts**

**Till next time! **


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys!**

**I'm back again, this time with a longer chapter! I hope you enjoy it, and happy holidays to you all!**

**Let me know what you thought of it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

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**Lizzie's POV**

If my dead heart were still beating I was sure it would've stopped by now. I felt like screaming. I felt like crying. I felt like closing my eyes and letting the ground beneath me swallow me whole. Someone, somewhere hated me so very much. _Why could I never catch a damn break?_

Where mere seconds ago my mind was full of hope now it was only filled with despair. I was locked in place, my limbs unwilling to move, my mouth and voice refusing to work. My mind furiously trying to reject the crystal clear image my eyes could not look away from.

I couldn't believe this was happening right now. Just when we were so close to getting out of this God forsaken place. I knew that life was never fair, but this? This had to be some sort of sick joke. Was my life someone else's idea of entertainment? Or maybe the universe just simply got a kick out of torturing me so? Either way, this was going to end badly.

"Kurt" I managed to spit out. The fear and panic I'd seen in Alice's eyes became my own. I didn't know what exactly was going on. But something was terribly wrong. I could see it in Alice's gaze and Jasper's face. Even Edward's usually composed expression looked tortured. It made me want to run.

_Run?_ I resisted the urge to snort at my own thoughts. It was too late to run now, years too late.

"Lizzie" Kurt replied. The knowing look in his eyes and the wide smirk on his face were making me more nervous by the second and I longed to punch a hole through his face; if only to let out some of the tension that seemed to cling to my body like a second skin ever since this whole mess began.

"What's going on here?" I asked, getting to the point and forcing myself to keep my eyes on Kurt and not let them wander off to the captive Cullens. I couldn't afford any distractions when facing Kurt.

"An excellent question" he countered, "Which I'm sure you're dying to get the answer to, but first things first. I always thought I had a good grasp on all things you Lizzie; what you think, what you feel, what you'll do, things like that. But Lizzie," he levelled his gaze with mine taking a few steps forward till his face was merely a couple of inches away from mine. "You've been holding out on me"

"What are you talking about?" I willed myself to stay calm under his gaze as I forced the words out of my mouth. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that I knew exactly what he was talking about and I didn't like it one bit. The urge to run came back to me again in full force.

"I finally know all your secrets darling," he said his nose brushing my own and his crimson eyes boring into mine, I could feel his sweet breath all over my face and felt repulsed by it. I clenched my jaw and said nothing, steeling myself for what was to come, waiting for him to elaborate. He was always one for theatrics, I was sure he wasn't done yet. He stared at me for a few more moments searching my face for something unknown to me before stepping back with a small smile on his face, apparently satisfied with whatever he'd seen.

"You and I Lizzie," he started turning his back on me and facing the Cullens, "You and I have much in common my dear," he glanced back at me.

I felt myself growing angry at his suggestion. "I'm nothing like you," I muttered through clenched teeth.

"Ah but you are," he said, "We are both smart and perceptive, both determined and stubborn beyond belief," he paused, "We both have suffered great loss," his eyes found mine again and I could tell he was thinking of the day La Push burned. The day I lost my best friend and he lost his brother.

I could remember that day as clearly as it had been yesterday.

_"Bella!" Jacob exclaimed, while taking a hold of my shoulders and shaking me, "You need to get out of here! Those bloodsuckers are back, and they're coming for you!" his eyes pleading for me to listen to him for once._

I remembered refusing to leave. Kurt, his brother Hector and his coven were only there because of me, I would not let the wolves fight my battles for me. That day I ran with the wolves and turned on my own kind, dismembering vampires along with the pack and setting them on fire. It all went to hell after the first few minutes. Kurt's power and temper always made him a formidable enemy, and Hector's manipulation of the earth beneath our feet took the wolves by surprise. For who could have ever thought that a single vampire had the power to create an earthquake by sheer force of will.

In a matter of seconds, the reservation had turned into a war zone, the ground had split and fire raged all around us. After disposing of yet another vampire, I was faced with Hector who, for some reason had stopped his attack when he saw me in the line of fire.

_"You are Anna's friend," he stated._

_"Yes" I replied curtly, my feet stuck in their place. I didn't want to think about my dead friend. It hurt too much._

_"Do you…" he hesitated, "Do you know what happened?" he asked._

_I stared dumbfounded. Was he seriously choosing this moment to chit chat with me? As Anna's brother I was sure he knew the whole truth behind her death, but as much as I'd like to know the truth, this was not the place nor the time. I was already having a hard time keeping myself from lounging at him. Just moments ago I'd watched as he mercilessly killed young sweet Seth. I was seeing red. _

_"She's dead, what else should I need to know about what happened?" I spat out, "She's gone, and she's not coming back no matter what you have to say to me," I crouched low and prepared myself to spring forward. I didn't care this man was once Anna's flesh and blood. He'd messed with my family, and that I could not forgive._

_"Listen–" _

_"No!" I snarled, "I don't want to hear it!" _

I remembered Jake coming out of nowhere and I remembered watching as he tore Hector apart until he was nothing more than a pile of munched and bitten limbs. I knew I should probably have felt something, anything, after all, Hector had the chance to kill me, even apprehend me but he didn't. He'd spared me. Even so, I couldn't bring myself to care, to feel anything but numbness. I couldn't bring myself to do anything as I watched the reservation burn.

But Kurt could. He'd watched as Jake finished his brother off and shot forward to end my best friend's life.

Jake had burned before I had the chance to scream.

The pain I felt now at my memories was still as fresh and still as real as it had been all those years ago. And the years that followed.

"You and I," Kurt's voice shook me out of my reverie, "We could have made a wonderful team, we can, still,"

I stared at him, disbelievingly. _Was he for real? _I could see out of the corner of my eyes, the Cullens were frowning as well, no doubt confused as to where this was going. Jasper was throwing me a weird look, no doubt feeling the turmoil of emotions swirling inside of me. Disbelief, anger, sorrow, guilt. All threatening to overwhelm and consume me.

"I will _never_" I seethed, narrowing my eyes, "Be part of whatever it is you're planning,"

"Lizzie," he sighed, "This would be so much easier if you would just cooperate. You need to let go of the past darling,"

"Like you have?" I huffed.

"I avenged my brother's death. I've moved on," he replied calmly. Alice's eyes were darting from Kurt to me periodically and I could almost see Edward's brain at work. They were trying to make sense of this.

"Well I haven't" I growled.

"Liz–"

"_You killed him!_ You _burned_ him alive!" I snarled furiously the only thing keeping me from going after Kurt were the three siblings his coven had tightly restrained. "I will _never_ forgive you for that," I hissed, trying to breathe steadily and calm myself.

"And that _dog_, tore my brother apart!" he countered stepping dangerously close to me again, "I would've burnt the whole of La Push down if it meant killing that stinking mutt!" he snarled to my face before taking a step back, "Oh wait a minute, I did," he sneered.

A ferocious growl escaped from me as I moved forward only to stop as I noticed Kurt's hand alight with flame just a couple of inches away from Alice's face. My heart clenched and I growled in frustration. She looked so scared as her eyes searched mine looking for reassurance.

Reassurance I could not give.

She kept staring at me though her eyes pleading for me to understand something I probably couldn't hear. But I could, I could spare a small amount of energy to listen to her mind.

_He's gonna kill me…Oh dear I –Bella! Bella! Oh God…Can you hear me?_

I couldn't exactly say yes or nod my head but I could hear the desperation in her voice even through her mind. So I continued to hold her gaze willing her to catch on.

_Okay, okay I don't know if you can hear me but I might as well try anyways right? You need to get out of here! I had a vision! You cannot do what he says! _

A vision? So Alice already knew what Kurt was asking of me?

_Oh, let her be listening! Please Bella, listen to me and go! You won't survive this! _

I caught a flash of blinding light from her mind but was shaken out of her thoughts by Kurt's voice.

"You need to control your temper darling," Kurt warned me, "You do not want little Alice to suffer for your impulsiveness right?"

I struggled to take a step back, my eyes never leaving Kurt's hand, wishing I could tear it off.

"The La Push werewolves?" Edward questioned looking at me, his beautiful face turned into a frown, his voice small. "How?"

"Oh young Edward," Kurt began, his tone patronising, "There is much about Elizabeth you do not know yet lad," he stopped for a moment, taking his hand away from Alice and letting the flames die before continuing. "By the end of this night you might know just how much,"

I let out a low and deep growl.

"What the hell do you really want Kurt?" I asked.

He stared at me for a few seconds before speaking "I want to ask something of you," he started, "Now I know you'll flat out refuse me as soon as you hear me out so first, I want you to know just what exactly is at stake here," he said motioning for Sabrina to go.

I watched as she turned to leave and stared at her empty spot ignoring all the questions running through my mind. I was feeling exhausted. My mind couldn't take much more stress at the moment. _I should've died forty two years ago, _I couldn't help but think. I wouldn't be stuck in this mess. I wouldn't have suffered as much. The Cullens probably never would've run into Kurt and his lot. The Pack in La Push, Jacob, Jason, Daniel, they'd all be alive now if only I could've just died. Why couldn't I just die?

"Oh God," Alice breathed, and I turned to look at her. She was staring at something far to my left. I heard, rather than saw what had upset Alice. Dread threatened to push me down on my knees, my stomach dropped as I slowly turned my head to follow Alice's pitying gaze.

Sabrina was back, and she was dragging someone along with her. Someone with his head covered with a black bag. Someone whimpering. Someone with a heartbeat, a heartbeat speeding away in fear. Someone with a scent I'd recognise anywhere, after all, it was a scent I'd lived with for four years in a row.

If I weren't sure I didn't have a heartbeat like him, I could've sworn mine was pounding in my ears.

It was Bryan.

He was barely standing and when Sabrina let go of him he crumpled to the ground only to be prompt up by Kurt. He took him by his right arm and quietly said, "Now, now Bryan, calm down. You are in for the night of your life!"

I could only watch as he helplessly trembled under Kurt's hold.

"Now I'm gonna be a good guy here," he carried on, "And I am going to take care of this awful bag okay lad?" he asked tugging at it. "Don't you worry if you can't keep up with what's going on, I just need you to stay put. Do you understand?"

Bryan just continued to tremble.

"I said, do you understand?" Kurt asked more forcefully tightening his grip on my friend's arm. I couldn't help the growl that escaped me and Bryan nodded furiously.

"Good"

As soon as the bag left his head out in the clear his eyes landed on the Cullens. "Alice?" he whispered frowning, blinking away the sudden brightness.

"Hey Bryan," she said in a small voice, a small but sad smile adorning her beautiful features. Her eyes were soft as she appraised the scared human in front of her.

"Wha– Why? How?"

While Bryan was otherwise occupied Kurt decided to turn his attention back to me. "Well aren't you gonna say something?" he asked amusedly, "Have I finally rendered you speechless Lizzie?"

At the mention of my name, Bryan's head whipped around faster that I ever thought he could move to look at me. His eyes widened and his breathing hitched, "Lizzie?"

I couldn't bring myself to answer. My mind couldn't quite grasp what was happening right now. It seemed so ridiculous that my brain couldn't deem it to be true. A surge of anger and fury ran through me and I could barely suppress the snarl threatening to leave my chest. It wouldn't do to scare Bryan even more. But how _dare_ Kurt mess with him too? How _dare_ he bring an innocent human into this? He'd already had his fun with Jacob and Jason. Why did he have to go after Bryan too?

I knew why though.

Because he hated me.

And, oh how I hated him.

"Ah Lizzie, come on, it's no fun if you don't participate," Kurt goaded me. "Don't you want to explain everything that's going on to Bryan?"

I kept silent. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think.

I was furious.

"Well since you won't I'll do the honours then," Kurt's words echoed through the silence enveloping us. "Look here Bryan, I'm sure you've noticed a few oddities in my friends and I so I'll let you in on a little secret," he started, "The world you live in, isn't exactly as you think it is. No, you see, you may find it hard to believe right now, but you are the only human currently standing in a room full of vampires,"

Kurt's little speech was met by silence and then, "Wh–What?" came Bryan's disbelieving stutter.

"You remember your friend Jason?" he asked.

My fists clenched.

"Ho–How do y–you know about Jason?" Bryan continued to stutter, his heart picking up the pace.

"Do you remember how he died?" Kurt waited for Bryan's nod, "How he had no blood left in his body? Not a single drop left?" Another nod, heart beating faster, "Well…I drained him," he snickered and I felt the fire growing inside of me, screaming to be let out. Kurt's power was always hard to control when he was near, mostly because I was always so angry when he was around.

Then Bryan turned to me, as if waiting for me to laugh out loud and say this was all a huge joke, but when his eyes met my golden gaze I could see it dawn upon his face.

There was no joke.

Kurt was telling the truth.

There were monsters in this world.

And I was one of them.

"Lizzie?"

"I'm so sorry," I blurted out. I had the strong urge to apologise. Ask for his forgiveness, for bringing him into this world, for ever meeting him, for ever letting him mean something to me. For that was the only reason Kurt had gone after him.

"I'm so, so sorry," I whispered my butterscotch eyes pleading and begging for him to understand that which I knew he could not. I'd lied to him, and it was my fault he was in this situation in the first place. I just hoped he could forgive me, and that I would have the chance to right this wrong, though I knew my chances of that happening were sliming by the minute.

For I already knew I would do whatever Kurt wanted me to, to protect the people I loved. I'd already decided. No matter what it was, I'd do it. And Alice _had_ said I wouldn't survive whatever it was that I would have to do.

And well, you never bet against Alice.

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**Alice's POV**

_Oh my God_, I thought for what must have been the hundredth time in the last five minutes. How can everything turn this _wrong_ in such little time? Bella's human friend being here just complicated everything, this I had _not_ seen coming. Not for the first time since we got captured I wished for Edward to be able to read my mind. I needed to be able to communicate, and we had to send word to Carlisle. For all I knew they were next on Kurt's list.

"I'm so sorry," I heard Bella blurt out. "I'm so, so sorry," she whispered.

My heart was breaking for Bella. I couldn't even begin to imagine what she must be feeling right now. And my poor Jasper was having such a hard time with the emotion-charged atmosphere. I could tell, Bella was nearing the breaking point. No one, human or vampire could ever take this much and not break.

I needed to do something, _anything_ to change the future I saw. We could not lose Bella now. Not after everything that's happened. I would _not_ lose her again.

The silence following Bella's words was becoming unbearable when Bryan's voice rang out.

"So _this_ is why you'd never come out in the sunlight to watch my games!" he smiled his eyes glued to Bella's while trying to appear less scared. His accelerated heartbeat wasn't fooling anyone, but I was sure Bella appreciated the effort he was clearly making to make her feel better. "It all makes so much sense now," he whispered.

A strangled laugh escaped out of Bella and I noticed her immediate relief. We were still waist deep in quicksand, rapidly sinking. But Bryan didn't hate her and for just a second I saw a flicker of joy flash in her eyes and I was so grateful for Bryan. For making her feel this way, if only for a brief moment.

"Well boy, looks like you're taking everything in stride," Kurt chuckled, "Would you like to see some awesome vampire powers?" he asked.

I saw a flash of fire in my mind before anything else actually happened, before Bryan could answer, before anyone could move and I could barely warn Bella before Kurt's hand had flung forward.

"Lizzie!"

Her eyes widened and she crouched low as fire erupted from Kurt's hand and a ring of fire engulfed her, quickly turning into a big dome, trapping Bella inside.

"No! What are you doing!" I growled at him, struggling against William and Trevor's hold on me. "Lizzie!" I noticed my siblings too were struggling to get out of the others hold. The fire was rising the temperature of the room drastically and I could see Bryan begin to sweat as he stared dumbfounded at the display that lay before him. He was trembling again.

Kurt didn't pay my words any heed. Instead he focused on the raging dome in front of him. The flames blazed in all their glory and I couldn't see anything past them. The longer the fire burned, the more anxious I became.

_Bella._

"Kurt!" Edward and Jasper snarled furiously.

"Stop this!" I pleaded, "You're going to kill her!"

But Kurt just smiled, "No I'm not,"

And just as suddenly as the fire had appeared, it dissolved into thin air, leaving a light curtain of black smoke behind that was quickly dispersing. I felt myself almost go limp with relief when I saw Bella. She was alive. On one knee, breathing heavily and with some of her clothing severely teared and burnt. She looked so tired, but she was alive. She raised her golden eyes to glare at Kurt as she trembled a little while struggling to get up.

"Unbelievable," he whispered. "Absolutely brilliant"

"Lizzie" I breathed out her name and her gaze flickered to mine softening for a second before returning to glare at Kurt.

"Well I'll be damned," Kurt exclaimed, "It is true then, that medallion of yours is truly something,"

"I'll ask you again," Bella muttered, "What the _hell_, do you _really_ want?" her breathing had returned somewhat to normal and her limbs weren't trembling as much.

"Well I thought it would be obvious my dear," Kurt smiled, "I want your medallion,"

"I will not give it to you,"

"I need it darling," Kurt said, "I need it to–"

"To overthrow the Volturi? Kill the three brothers?" Bella cut him off. "You'll never be able to, it cannot be done"

My heart dropped to my feet. I knew what was coming next. And I knew what Bella's answer would be. There was nothing I could say to change her mind now. I just needed to come up with a plan before she did something she could not take back.

"Oh I know exactly what the limitations of your medallion are Lizzie" Kurt chuckled, "Which is why you'll give me the medallion, but not before _you _take care of the three rulers for me first."

Bella's eyes darkened and I saw her jaw clench. She knew what doing this for Kurt meant for her. She would not live to see another day. The medallion would consume all there was to her, that was exactly why she hadn't tried to do so herself she'd told me as much.

"So," Kurt took a few steps dragging a speechless Bryan with him till he was near Edward and me again. He dropped him by our feet and lit up both his hands, keeping them close enough for us all to feel the heat against our skin. "What's it gonna be Lizzie darling?" he smirked, "Are you with me, or are you not?"

I saw Bella glance at the floor briefly, taking a deep breath before lifting her determined eyes to lock with Kurt's a fierce glint in her golden irises. For the second time since I'd met her she looked dangerous, and I couldn't help the shiver that ran through my spine.

"I am."

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**So, we've learned quite a bit in this chapter right? Tell me your thoughts?**

**Thanks for reading!**


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